Are You Going To San Francisco?
by TheFabledSnake
Summary: COMPLETEMax enters the Everyday Heroes contest and Mr Jefferson picks her as the winner. Their previous teacher/student relationship begins to change once they arrive in San Francisco as Mark begins to see Max as a woman, rather than a pupil. This is set in an alternative universe i.e. Rachel is still alive, Mark does not drug and kidnap girls and Max has no time travelling powers.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This fic supports Jefferfield and as stated in the description it is set in an alternate universe. Rachel is alive and kicking and Mark does not drug and kidnap young girls.**

 **There may be some triggering subjects throughout this fic i.e. depression and anxiety. I suffer from both these myself and I feel it is important to be as open as possible about them so that the stigma can be removed.  
**

 **If you find yourself affected by any of these issues, please visit this link: life is strange talk/**

 **I don't own any of these characters, they belong to Square Enix and Dontnod.**

* * *

 _Friday 18_ _th_ _October 2013_

Max really couldn't believe her luck – when she'd entered her photo for the Everyday Heroes content, she never thought she'd win.

After all, there was some strong competition. Victoria Chase's entry for one.  
Victoria had a great eye, the image was sharp, it really captured your attention. Her subject was an exhausted doctor having finished a long shift and the effect was powerful.  
Kate's Marsh's entry showed what Max thought a real hero was – a fireman after saving a family from their burning house. That was an emotional piece.  
Even Nathan Prescott's entry impressed Max. His style most definitely needed to be honed, but his use of black and white gave everything a noir feel and the subject matter was haunting.

But Mr Jefferson had chosen hers. He said it had 'soul'. Max did have to admit that she felt it captured her inner self (or should that be inner selfie?).

So here she was, bag packed and waiting on the steps outside of Blackwell for the cab to take Mr Jefferson and her to the airport.

'Are you excited, Max?' asked Mr Jefferson, putting his phone into his jacket pocket and turning to her.  
'Mostly excited, a little nervous,' replied Max, fiddling with her bag, 'I've only been on a plane once before and I was nervous then too.'  
'It's all right, the flight's only an hour and a half, it'll probably take us longer to get our luggage back!' said Mr Jefferson, trying to reassure her.

Max nodded and thought that Mr Jefferson was probably used to travelling, back in the nineties when his career was at its peak. She imagined a glamorous lifestyle and wondered, not for the first time, why he had decided to come back to Arcadia Bay.

Was it simply that his career had waned and the opportunities dried up? Perhaps he wanted to share his expertise? He genuinely seemed to enjoy sharing his wealth of knowledge with his students. Even though she was a fan of his work, she didn't know much about his actual career – understandable, seeing as she was only a child at the height of his popularity.

Maybe she would ask him when they had a moment in San Francisco? Max was far too shy to bring up something like that. What if he didn't want to talk about it? What if something tragic had caused him to give up his career? What if – she mentally checked herself. _Stop catastrophing, Max_.

Her anxiety had a habit of getting out of control if she didn't reign herself in, and that did not feel good. The last thing she wanted to do was have another panic attack, let alone in front of anyone.

The cab arrived just then, blissfully removing Max from awkwardness of standing there with her teacher, and not having a single thing to say. The driver packed their luggage in the trunk while they got in the car. Mr Jefferson looked over at Max.

'Ready?' he asked, raising one eyebrow.

* * *

Exiting the cab at the hotel they'd be staying at, they were engulfed by a sudden rainfall.

'Max, you go inside, I'll bring everything in, OK?' Mr Jefferson gave Max a little push towards the building. She didn't need convincing, she rushed towards the hotel and stood under the awnings and waited.

'Thanks Mr Jefferson,' Max said as he approached with their luggage, 'I hope you didn't get too wet.'

'Nothing a hot shower won't fix,' he replied, smiling as he passed her suitcase to her.

Max had a brief thought of Mr Jefferson in the shower and flushed. _Why did I think that?_

Just then her phone buzzed in her jeans pocket. A quick check revealed it was a text from Chloe. _I'll read it in a moment, when I'm in my room. She's probably telling me how her latest date with Rachel went._

A couple of months ago, Chloe had finally plucked up the courage to turn her long term crush on Rachel Amber into something more tangible. Gleefully, for Max as well as Chloe, Rachel had accepted the blunette's date invitation and it seemed that things were going well for the pair. It gave Chloe something else to focus on aside antagonising her step father and her part time job at the Two Whales, where she worked with her mother.

They made their way into the hotel and checked in. Mr Jefferson handed Max her room key. She inspected in, turning it over and reading the room number, 504. _I wonder what number room he's staying in._ Again, she blushed at such a thought then admonished herself. _Obviously it will be one next to mine. And why do I care anyway?_

The following evening they were to attend a pre exhibition dinner with the other contestants. So this evening, Max was free to do whatever she wanted.

'I think I'm going to have that shower now,' Mr Jefferson said to Max as they rode the elevator to their floor, 'Do you have any plans?'

'Oh no, I thought I might just relax in my room. I'm still coming down from that plane ride,' Max replied, rubbing the back of her neck. 'I'm re-reading Battle Royale and I'm at an exciting moment so I'll probably read and go to sleep.'

'Sounds like a good time to me,' said Mr Jefferson, smiling softly at her. They had reached their floor. 'You have a good night's rest, all right? Tomorrow's an exiting day for you'. He placed his hand on her upper arm and gave it a little squeeze, then he went to his room.

Max was left standing there outside her door, blushing. Did she read too much into that gesture? She thought that he held on just a little bit too long. _Nah...I'm reading into this way too much! He's my professor!_

With that, Max opened her room door and placed her suit case by a chair. Eager for some gossip, she pulled out her phone and flopped down on her comfy hotel bed. _Wow, now this is luxury_ , she thought, as she snuggled into the pillows.

Chloe: Mad Max! What's up, how was your flight?

Max: Oh you know, the usual, felt like my stomach was going to eject itself from my body _

Chloe: Ugh, u r so dramatic

Max: You love it. So...

Max: How did it go?

Chloe: I...am in love

Max: ^_^ Please spill, what was it like? Did violins serenade you, were their birds singing for you

Chloe: Shut up!

Chloe: It was great. We went for coffee at that cafe on campus. Talked about her classes, managed to get her to show me some of her sketches

Max: Very smooth, I like it, getting her talking about herself

Chloe: Her sketches are great actually. She's got a beautiful style. I swear, I'm hella swooning here. She wants to sketch ME!

Chloe: Then we walked around campus. It was totally beautiful, leaves falling from the trees, the sunset shimmering through the branches

Max: Seriously Chloe, that sounds amazing

Chloe: It was, she's amazing. And...

Chloe: We totally kissed!

Max: Woo, go Chloe! I'm so happy for you ^_^

Chloe: Thanks Maximilian, I would do one of those faces, but you know...no emoji!

Max: Haha, I wouldn't expect you to change now

Chloe: I just wanted to update you quickly, I'll call tomorrow

Chloe: What are you up to now?

Max: Nothing, just chilling in my room, probs just going to order a sandwich and put my sweats on

Chloe: So no nocturnal meeting with your Mister, huh?

Max: Who? Jefferson?

Max: Don't, you're making me blush

Chloe: Bless, little innocent Maxie

Max: Nothing going on there, I assure you

Chloe: Yeah yeah

Chloe: I'll talk to you later hippie

Max: Love you too

Why had Chloe mentioned Mr Jefferson? Did she think there was a possibility...no, surely not? Just Chloe being Chloe.

Still, Max was stoked to hear that her date went well, Chloe so deserved some happiness in her life. Rachel seemed to give her a bit of hope. Recently she'd been getting on better with her step father, David. Perhaps working with Joyce made her realise how much of a good man he was. And he _was_ a good man. Misguided sometimes, certainly, but he meant well.  
He sometimes was a bit overzealous with security, but that came with the territory of being the Head of Security at Blackwell Academy. He cared about the students safety, it just manifested itself in the wrong way at times.

Max went to her suitcase and half heartedly began to unpack. They were here for the weekend, catching a flight back to Oregon Monday morning. She wanted to hang up the dress she'd brought for tomorrow's party to ensure it wouldn't wrinkle.

The exhibition and dinner were important to her – she'd be mixing with other artists for the first time and she wanted to appear mature and sophisticated, which is not what she felt like at all.

 _Stop it Max, stop being such a downer on yourself. You won the competition, you deserve this._

The problem with having an anxiety disorder was that it never really went away. Max knew all the methods to calm herself down before a panic attack erupted, but they did still happen. She also suffered from depression, which caused her to doubt herself anytime she was doing well.

This competition had really brought her spirits up, and she was determined to make the right impression and take a chance. What was it Mr Jefferson said?

 _Always take the shot._


	2. Chapter 2

_Saturday 19_ _th_ _October 2013_

Max's alarm woke her up at 8 the next morning. She reached over and turned it off, then lay back against the soft pillows. _This is the comfiest bed I've ever slept in, makes my dorm bed feel like a wooden board!_

A frisson of excitement ran through her when she thought about the exhibition at the Zeitgeist. People were going to be admiring her work from all around, and she would get to experience what it felt like to be a famous photographer. _What it feels like for someone like Mr Jefferson._

She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts – _why do I keep thinking about him? It's probably just because he's on this trip with me._

She decided she'd get dressed and sample the breakfast buffet provided by the hotel and was pleasantly surprised to find Mr Jefferson outside waiting for the elevator. He was dressed in his usual smart casual style, a blazer and white starched shirt over dark jeans. _Wowsers, he looks good at this time of the morning. Oh stop it Max, if Chloe were here she'd be making sick noises in your ear._

'Morning Max, how'd you sleep?' Mr Jefferson gave her a big smile, looking genuinely pleased to see her.

'Pretty damn good, Mr Jefferson,' replied Max, feeling confident. Today was going to be her day, 'That bed was seriously one of the most comfy I've ever slept in,and the biggest.'

Mr Jefferson chuckled at her and ushered her into the elevator as it arrived, 'Yes, that's one of the advantages of hotels, although there's a part of me that can't help but think about all the other people who've used them before.'

'Yikes, that's a thought!' Max replied, 'I-I didn't think of that.'

'Ah don't mind me, I'm just theorising, it's probably too early for it,' Mr Jefferson removed his glasses and polished them on his suit jacket before replacing them and looking directly at Max, 'So. How are you feeling about later on?'

'I-I'm really nervous but excited, too. It's my chance to feel like a real photographer.'

'You area real photographer, Max. A damn fine one at that, you know I think so. Your work has really come along since the start of the semester. I can see your style maturing and becoming recognisable – that's rare for someone just starting out.'

'Thanks Mr Jefferson – you really believe in me, huh?' Max replied, giving him a coy smile as the elevator reached its destination.

'That I do, Max, that I do. Now let's go eat, this hotel does a damn good buffet.'

* * *

 _Which one of these shirts makes me look like an artist the most? The neutral, tasteful beige or the more outgoing jade?_

Max finally settled on dark brown pants, a white tank top and the beige shirt on top. She added a golden doe necklace that Chloe had given her when she won the contest.

 _'Promise me you'll wear this at your exhibition, Max, I wanna see it in those publicity photos,' Chloe had said as she handed over a jewellery box._

Max was to meet with Mr Jefferson in the lobby so they could cab it to the exhibition. _Maybe I should have asked for a limo_ , Max laughed to herself.

It was odd, she hadn't felt so confident in all of her life – was this the result of her pep talk with her teacher earlier? Or was she just owning the fact that she was a respected artist?

Max didn't know, but what she did know was that today, everything was going to go her way.

Standing in the foyer of the Zeitgeist, Max took a deep breath. Mr Jefferson, standing next to her, leant down to her ear and whispered 'Go on, this is _your_ room now.'

Max shivered a little at his breath tickling her ear and neck and felt the little hairs raising, giving way to goosebumps. She followed his words and entered the gallery. The first thing she examined was the guestbook.

Not as good as last year – David Foy

Totally makes me want to start taking photos! - Adam B

These heroes chose the path of least regret – Thomas Farber

 _These people saw my photo. My photo!_ Max could hardly contain her glee, then she turned her attention to the wall next to the reception desk. It had a list of all the contest winners names, and there she was.

Max Caulfield – immortalised forever. She felt so giddy with happiness!

'Feels good, doesn't it?' Mr Jefferson's voice came from behind her. Again, he had placed his hand on her upper arm and squeezed it. But this time, he didn't move it. 'It feels good to be recognised for your talent, right?'

'Oh it really, really does. I still can't believe I'm here.' Max replied, tensing up at his touch at first but then relaxing. That _actually feels quite nice!_

'I already told you, you belong here, this is your time and your place. God, I can remember my first exhibition, I was beyond excited, but of course, I had to act like a cool sophisticate, not showing my delight. Didn't want the artists to think I didn't know how to behave.' he said.

'Thanks for believing in me, Mr Jefferson. It means a lot.'

'Max, please, I think you can call me Mark now, after all, we are friends, right?' He was gazing at her like no way he had before.

Max swallowed, she suddenly felt quite hot, she was sure her face was betraying her with a dark blush. 'We sure are... _Mark_.' She felt a little odd saying his name at first, but what the hell? He said she could.

'When you're done here, perhaps you'd like to join me on an expedition around San Francisco?' Mark asked, taking his hand off her arm.

'Oh wow, t-that'd be g-great, yes,' Max stuttered. _Why am I being so dorky! It's not like he asked you on a date, he's probably just going to give me a photography lesson in the city._

'Great, I look forward to it! Come find me when you're finished basking in the adoration from your fans,' he said, winking then moving off to another part of the gallery.

 _Wowsers, that was intense._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is a short chapter, apologies. I felt that I wanted to get their first kiss established as soon as possible. After all, this trip isn't very long!**

* * *

 _This is so cool! I can't believe I'm getting a one on one session with Mark Jefferson!_

'So, when you have a limited space to shoot in, you're going to want to use a wide angle lens, like this one,' Mark said, showing Max before fitting it to his camera. 'It's impossible to get an impressive shot with a regular lens in a built up area like this.'

He handed Max his camera so she could take a shot herself. _Just don't drop it, girl! This is expensive equipment, not like a Polaroid!_

Max lined up the camera and took the shot of the Golden Gate bridge. It was such a beautiful sight. The day was cold and crisp, almost a poster child for October. Max remembered Ms. Grant saying that the way the leaves changed colours was her favourite part of the season and she had to agree.

'Great! Let's check out that shot Max,' Mark took the camera and viewed the photo. 'Very nice work, it could be a little tighter, but that's a fantastic start.'

Max beamed, she'd had a great day so far, wondering around all the tourist spots, taking pictures. Mark had also taken some more urban grunge photos of graffiti and run down buildings. He said that while he usually focused on portraiture rather than landscapes, but it was fun to take a different path now and then.

'I could really do with a coffee now,' Mark said, putting his camera away. 'How about you?'

'Sure!' Max replied, smiling up at him. They'd been walking around for hours since leaving the gallery, and she was feeling pretty beat.

The exhibition had been wonderful – Max had stood in front of her photo (enlarged to such a degree she was nearly embarrassed) and the other patrons had stepped aside to allow her through.

'There she is.'

'Great work, I love it.'

'Makes me want to dust down my old camera!'

Max had smiled at the comments and felt a glow of pride when she looked at her entry. Turning her head, she'd spotted Mark leaning against a wall, arms folded, staring at her. When their eyes met, he'd gave her another little wink. Max had felt another little frisson of excitement run through her.

So here they were, having spent the whole day together, now going to have coffee. _Is it wrong that I'm super excited? I feel so at ease with Mark now._

Throughout the day there had been little gestures that made Max feel like Mark was more interested in her as person, rather than a student. A hand on her arm, a lingering glance, a few shared jokes. She wasn't really sure what to think until she asked Mark whether he'd mind if she took their picture.

'For prosperity,' Max said, 'And my social media account!' _Victoria is going to freak out when she sees this._

'Well, I'm not really a fan of selfies myself, but for the star? Anything.'

Max pulled out her phone and stood closer to Mark. He surprised her by putting his arm over her shoulder and pulling her into his body. _Oh! That feels nice, he's so comfy to lean into!_

She snapped the photo then moved away and looked up at him. He had a curious expression on his face, almost confused.

'Are you okay?' she asked, frowning a little. _What's wrong? Did I piss him off by taking that selfie? He did say yes._

'Yes, I'm fine Max, I-I just-' he trailed off, sighing and taking off his glasses to rub his face. Replacing them, he came a little closer to her and said, 'I'm going to do something now.'

Max's heart started to beat a little faster and she was sure that familiar pink blush was creeping up her face. Mark leaned into her and gently took her face in his hands. Hardly daring to breathe, she looked into his eyes and saw his desire. He pulled her towards him and pressed his lips against hers. She felt his hand move from her jaw to tangle within her hair, the other moving to the nape of her neck.

She responded to the kiss, parting her lips slightly to allow his tongue to caress her lower lip. She didn't want it to stop, but he pulled away and looked flushed.

'I'm sorry Max, I hope I didn't cross a line there,' he said, looking at her with concern, 'I know I shouldn't but I...just can't help myself.'

'It's okay, Mark, I...enjoyed it. I've always admired you, I never thought something like this would ever happen though.'

'As long as you're all right,' he said, taking a step back. 'Why don't we go for that coffee now, I think we could both use a breather, right?'


	4. Chapter 4

Comfortably ensconced on a low, squashy couch, Max took in the room around her. _At least this is one place I fit it_. The cafe was most definitely a hipster's retreat. She wondered how Mark knew about it – he said he'd been to San Francisco many times before, so it was probably one of his regular stops.

He brought over their coffees; espresso for himself and latte for Max.

'Thanks Mark,' Max, reaching for the cup, and enjoying the warm beverage. She hoped he was going to start speaking to her again. Since their kiss, he hadn't said much to her until they reached the cafe when he asked what she wanted to drink.

'Max, I have to apologise again for earlier. It's really something I shouldn't have done,' he said, fixing her with his gaze.

Max nibbled at a hangnail. Whilst she had enjoyed it, she still got embarrassed when she thought about it. Her first kiss and it was with her professor – was that wrong? Mark seemed to think it was.

'If you shouldn't have done it...w-why did you?' Max was hesitant to ask but she needed to know. She needed to know where she stood.

'Put it this way: I've always liked you, as a person. You're warm and you get on with everyone, it's hard not to like you' he sipped some of drink and placed the cup on the table.

'I get on with everyone? Even Victoria?' Max asked, raising her eyebrows.

'Well, maybe not Victoria – perhaps you two aren't meant to be friends. But you needn't be enemies.'

 _I'm not so sure about that..._

'But my point is, the more I've spent time with you, the more I've grown to like you. This contest has really been a boost for your confidence, I can see you maturing and strengthening and your passion reminds me of myself.'

It was true. Since winning the contest, Max did feel a lot more confident that she usually did. She'd been working hard to combat her anxiety and something like this was a real blow to her condition.

He continued, 'I'm in a position of trust here, as your teacher, and I feel bad for taking advantage. But I'm drawn to you, do you understand?'

'I-I do, I guess. I don't want you to feel bad. Y-you might have noticed that I've kinda, sorta had a small crush on you...' Max replied, looking down into her lap. She suddenly didn't know what to do with her hands.

Mark laughed softly, 'In my line of work, you get used to schoolgirl crushes, it's not something I haven't seen before.'

 _Yeah right, I bet he noticed Victoria chasing him around too._

'Max,' he said, taking hold of her hands, 'I don't want you to think that I'm not interested in you as a person – your personality is really what attracts me to you. Your grace and beauty are just an added bonus.'

 _My grace? Surely he's seen how clumsy I am._

'Let's not dwell on this, maybe we just need some alone time to figure out our thoughts, all right?' He said, moving back in his chair. 'Why don't you finish your drink and I'll take you back to the hotel. After all, we've got to ready for the dinner party tonight.'

When Max got back to her room, she immediately rushed to her bed to lay down. _What a day!_

Knowing that she needed to get all of this out, she retrieved her phone to text Chloe. Chloe would freak out when she heard.

Max: Hey Chloe, you busy?

Chloe: Nah

Chloe: You wanna talk?

Max: Yeah...

Max: I went on a photo trip with Jefferson today

Chloe: Ooh, how was that? You cuddle up to keep warm?

Max: Well...

Chloe: TELL ME EVERYTHING

Max: He...kissed me!

Chloe: Oh shit, no way Max.

Chloe: I was only joking before, but damn girl, you work fast

Max: Argh, it wasn't my idea, it was his

Max: He totally leaned into me

Chloe: And the lady could not resist the gentlesir's smooth moves

Chloe: And now what?

Chloe: Hah, Victoria is going to FREAK OUT

Max: Please don't tell anyone!

Chloe: Max, come on, I wouldn't do that

Max: Not even Rachel

Chloe: You can trust me, it's a pretty big deal. Couldn't he get in trouble at Blackwell?

Max: He did mention it, we talked about it, I'm not sure what he's gonna do

Chloe: Keep it to yourselves

Max chatted to Chloe for a few minutes longer, but the topic of conversation remained the same. How could Max go forward? She really _did_ like Mark, but it was clear that is not a relationship that would be approved.

 _Argh, I'm getting ahead of myself. He only kissed me, he didn't ask me out. He'll probably think about it and realise I'm just a silly little girl and totally regret kissing me._

Max decided she'd take a leisurely bath, taking advantage of the free fancy bath salts supplied by the hotel, and then get ready for the dinner party.

As she started to run the bath, she thought about making an extra special effort with her make up that evening. After all, she was one of the stars of the show, why not look the part?

* * *

Stepping towards the mirror, Max applied some finishing touches to her eye shadow, then took a look at herself in the full length mirror.

 _Not bad Caulfield, you do scrub up well._

She'd taken every care to cultivate a sophisticated, woman-of-the-world look tonight. Just for tonight, she didn't want to be the teen in the generic t-shirt and jeans, even though she still loved them.

 _It's not like I'm going to start wearing dresses everyday after this._

She heard a knock at her door. It must be Mark, coming to escort her. Max picked up her small evening bag, took one last glance in the mirror and opened the door.

Standing there, looking exceptionally handsome in black tie, was Mark, who looked knocked out at the sight of Max. She felt her hand fly to the side of her head, touching her hair, feeling self conscious, almost as if she were overdressed.

'Max, you look...' he said, shaking his head slowly, 'Beautiful. Just stunning.'

She had made an effort tonight. It a beautiful white dress, which dipped low in the back, exposing her shoulder blades. It was a modest knee length, made slightly risqué by the cut. At her lobes were small pearls, a gift from her grandmother for her 18th birthday, and a delicate silver bangle on her wrist. She wore delicate silver sandals which matched her bag.

'Thank you – I think you look great too. This sure is a swish event, right? I've never been so dressed up before.' Max said quickly, to cover her shyness.

'Let's get going then, I wouldn't want to waste your efforts just standing in the corridor.' Mark replied, guiding her to the elevator, a hand placed on the small of her back.

 _Oh be still my heart!_

* * *

The dinner party was both elegant and sophisticated, and Max felt privileged to be attending. With Mark by her side, she cruised the room, talking to some of the other contest winners, sharing in the joy of their success.

Max wasn't much of a drinker, so she only had one glass of champagne to toast the evening with Mark, and drank water for the rest of the night.

Sitting down for the meal, she grinned at Mark, 'This is so much fun!' she said, shaking her napkin onto her lap.

'I'm glad you're having a good time, Max,' he replied, returning the smile. 'And may I say again, just how beautiful you look.'

Max ducked her head, feeling shy. She couldn't help it, she just wasn't that used to compliments, usually she faded into the background.

Mark placed his hand on top of hers, 'I'm sorry if I embarrass you, I have to recognise beauty when I see it.'

Max enjoyed the feeling, and was bold enough to move her hand so she was holding his. It was warm and felt right. Mark glanced down, then back up at her and gave her a little smile.

'Are you sure?' he asked quizzically.

'Yes,' she replied softly. 'It feels right to me, doesn't it to you?'

* * *

After the meal, there was a dance, with a string orchestra. _This is just too magical. I feel like I'm in a movie._

Mark stood up from the table and offered his hand to Max, 'Do you care to dance?'

'I certainly do,' she replied with a slight giggle, and standing up.

They took to the dance floor, to join the other couples and began to dance to the strains of the orchestra.

Mark had pulled Max in close to his chest, so she was resting her head against his chest, feeling its warmth and hearing his heartbeat. One of his hands was placed on her upper back, the other holding her hand, while she was holding her arm around his shoulder.

As they moved around the floor, she felt elegant and beautiful. Mark's fingers began tracing little circles on her back, causing her breath to quicken. She never ever wanted the dance to end, she was totally blissful. She closed her eyes, savouring the moment.

Mark leant down to whisper in her ear, 'What do you say we duck out of here early?'

She opened her eyes and pulled back slightly so she could see his face. He had that look of desire in his eyes that he had before he kissed her. _What's going to happen if I say yes? Do I want to find out?_

'Yes,' she replied, smiling softly up at him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter contains sexual references, proceed with caution.**

* * *

Max spent the entirety of the cab ride wondering whether she was doing the right thing. Mark had enclosed her hand in his but was silent. _Maybe he's nervous too?_

When they reached the hotel, Mark paid the driver, got out and opened the door for Max, extending his hand to escort her out. _He's such a gentleman._

Walking through the lobby, to the bank of elevators, Max caught sight of themselves in the floor length mirrors lining the walls. _We look like movie stars. Oh, my head is spinning._

When they entered the elevator, and the doors closed, Mark caught Max in his arms and leant down to kiss her. This kiss was different, more passionate, she could feel his urgency and taste the champagne on his tongue.

Arriving at their floor, he didn't have to ask her where they were going. He led her to his room, hastily opening the door. Once inside, he pressed her against the closed door and continued to kiss her passionately, his hands tangled in her hair, tugging slightly.

Max, in turn, slid her hands underneath his jacket and ran them along his back, feeling the taut, defined muscles.

Abruptly, he pulled away, taking off his jacket and leading her to the bed. Max tried to keep a coherent thought in her head, but Mark brought his mouth to her neck and began tracing kisses down to her collarbone. She felt her breath catch in her throat, a tingle running down her arms, goosebumps raising.

He gently leaned into her, so that she fell back against the bed, the skirt of her dress pulling up her thighs. He moved his hands, skimming down her sides until they reached her thighs.

Moving back, ending the kiss, he said, 'Max, are you okay? Do you want me to stop?'

Looking at him directly, she said, 'No, don't stop, this is what I want' She stood up from the bed to remove her shoes. 'Would you mind unzipping me?' she gave Mark a coy smile over her shoulder.

He acquiesced, placing one hand on her shoulder and the other gently pulling the zip down her on her dress. She stepped out of it and sat back on the bed.

'Okay, I'm not going to the only one undressed here,' she said, feeling shy and little exposed in front of him.

Mark laughed gently and began to undress too. Being so inexperienced, Max wasn't sure where to look. Should she watch? Should she look away? She was glad Mark was taking the lead.

 _Am I really here, doing this?_

He leant down over her to kiss her again and they fell back against the soft covers together. Mark's fingers trailed down her arm, to her hand, further down her body until they were at her thighs again. This time, he was stroking them gently. Max brought her hands to his chest, sliding around to his back where she experimentally dragged her fingernails.

She felt Mark's slight pleasurable moan in her mouth as she did so, and it encouraged her to kiss him more passionately, reaching her fingers into his hair to bring him closer to her. His hand, still at her thigh, was stroking her more urgently, reaching towards its inside, causing her to sigh with pleasure too.

Taking this as a sign to continue, he slid his hand further up until her he was stroking the warmth between her legs. Max gasped, it felt so good, Mark seemed to know the right places to touch.

He moved around so he was on top of her and moved down to kiss her neck, giving her little nips along the way as he brought his mouth down to her breasts. He began to gently tease a nipple with his tongue, removing his hand from between her thighs to caress her other breast.

Max tipped her head back, sighing. Mark started to move down towards her stomach, trailing wet kisses all the way down and until he was at her thighs. He teased her by kissing and licking her inner thighs before pushing her legs open a little further.

As his tongue touched her inner most crevice, she audibly panted. _Wow, I never thought it would feel so damn good._ She could feel his tongue begin to move in achingly slow, languid circles, sending tingles of pleasure from her thighs up her body to her breasts, where she reached to touch her nipples in response.

He continued to pleasure her with licks and little nips here and there and she could feel her pleasure mounting, her hands in his hair, pulling as if to spur him to go faster. He responded to her touch, and she could now feel herself tipping over the edge.

She cried out with a long drawn out moan as she came, grabbing onto the bed sheets as she did so, her eyes tightly closed. Mark didn't stop his strokes until he felt her relax.

Coming up for air, he looked at her with want in his eyes, 'Are you all right, are you feeling okay?' he asked softly.

'Oh yes...I just feel...light headed...drunk maybe?' she replied, trying to regulate her breathing.

He came up from between her legs so he was directly above her and gave her a long, amorous kiss. Max could taste herself on his tongue. She felt him move between her legs again, and inhaled sharply as she felt him begin to enter her.

'Do you want me to stop?' he asked, looking down at her with a concerned look on his face.

'No, please...I want this...I want you,' she replied, her breath coming in short puffs.

He continued and Max felt him deliciously filling her. This felt even better than before, the way he was slowly, almost lazily sliding in and out of her. His breath was quickening, his mouth at her ear, kissing and biting, pulling at her lobe. Max wrapped her legs around him and he pushed up from her so he could look her directly in her eyes as he moved within her.

He began to ride her faster, holding onto her hips and pulling her onto him so he could fill her completely. She felt her pleasure climbing once again, the feel of his hardness within her wetness made her feel so indulgent. She loved the look of desire on his face, he was so caught up in her.

Again, she was beginning to tumble over the edge and again she cried out with pleasure as the waves of her orgasm overtook her whole body. Her release encouraged him to begin his own, a fine sheen of sweat glistening on his chest as he called out her name.


	6. Chapter 6

Max lay back against the pillows, trying to catch her breath. _That was pretty intense. I'm exhausted._

Mark, laying next to her, was seemingly falling asleep. She glanced over to him and shook her head. _Did that really just happen? What the fuck happens now?_

She could feel the tiredness taking her over too, she moved over to cuddle up to him and felt him bring his arm around her to pull her in closer.

He started to ask her something, but she shushed him, 'We'll talk in the morning.' Right now, she was content just to fall asleep.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the large plate glass windows, unobstructed by the curtains that were never closed in last night's haste, and onto Max's face, waking her up.

Closing her eyes against the glare she considers the position she's in; still entwined with her lover from last night, still naked, and still disbelieving.

Carefully, she extracted herself from his embrace and went to the bathroom for some quiet sanctuary. Sighing heavily, she looks at her reflection in the mirror. Her carefully applied make up is mostly smeared across her freckled face. She decided that the best thing to do would be to have a shower and go back to her room.

After leaving the bathroom, Max quickly rushed to grab her dress and put it on. _Yuk, I feel so gross, hope I don't see anyone before I get back to my room._

She picked up her bag and shoes, not bothering to put them on and left stealthily.

She breathed a sigh of relief on the closed door and opened her room door. Once inside, she took off her dress and put on her pyjamas and climbed into her bed. _I'm not going anywhere else today, no way._

Max needed to process what happened last night – the enormity of it all was weighing down on her heavily. She'd definitely enjoyed herself, she felt satisfied in a way she hadn't before but she felt...off. Not shy, not embarrassed, but still awkward.

She looked down at her phone and saw several messages from Chloe, but she was far too mixed up to even begin to tell her friend what had happened.

There's a knock at the door. Max froze. She could guess who it was but she still didn't want to talk to him.

'Max, please, let me in so we can talk,' she heard Mark's voice from the other side of the door.

 _Maybe I can just stay quiet, maybe he'll think I'm asleep._

He knocked again, 'Come on, I know you're not asleep.'

 _Fuck. Now what? Should I just let him in?_ _I can't hide forever._

Reluctantly, she climbed out of bed and slowly made her way to the door. Bracing herself, she opens it a little of the way.

'Oh, hi! Mr Jefferson, I wasn't sure who it was...' she said, entirely unconvincingly.

He gave her a sharp look, ' _Mr Jefferson?_ Really?' He pushed the door open. 'Max, don't do this to me.'

'Do what?' she said, faking a big bright smile. 'Everything's cool, right?'

'Everything is completely the opposite of cool,' he replied, entering and closing the door. 'Now are you going to talk to me about this or are you going to fuck me around?'

Startled by his choice words, Max stepped back and said, 'All right, come and sit down. I'm going back to bed.'

She went back to the bed and climbed back in, Mark following her. He sat on the edge and looked at her with a sigh.

'What's wrong? Did I hurt you?' he asked, reaching out to hold her hand.

Max looked down, and automatically laced her fingers through his. 'No, you didn't hurt me,' she said softly, casting her eyes down.

'Then why did you go?' he said, shifting a little closer to her. 'I was worried when I'd noticed you'd gone, I can't stand the thought of you being hurt, least of all by me.'

'I don't know!' Max said abruptly, 'Maybe cause I don't know what the _fuck_ to do in a situation like this. Maybe I'm not the only student that you've fucked before, maybe-,'

'Or maybe you're fucking _wrong_ ,' he replied, looking angry, 'Do you think I would do that to you? Just sleep with you and then discard you? Don't you know how I fucking _feel_ about you?'

'I-what? No?' Max was caught off guard.

'Do you really think I would risk my career and reputation just to _fuck_ you? Max, you're so much more special to me than that.' he said, rubbing his face in agitation. 'Were you listening to me yesterday? You are such a lovely warm person, I could never do that to you. But, I can understand your feelings of confusion. You're young, you've probably never been in a situation like this, am I right?'

Max felt awkwardly inexperienced as she nodded in acquiescence to his questions.

'You know how I know? Because I'm the goddamn opposite. I'm _not_ young and I _have_ experienced something like this before. And I feel terrible, because I shouldn't have put you through this, but I can't leave you alone.'

'W-what do you mean?' she asked, sitting up and moving a little closer to him.

'I mean what I said yesterday, I can't leave you, I don't want to be without you,' he said, sighing. 'Maybe I'm selfish but I am so happy that I get to be alone with you, finally, away from everyone, away from school, work, every distraction.'

With that, he gathered her into his arms and held onto her tightly. Max rested her chin on his shoulder, returning the embrace, feeling his warmth. She pulled him down, so he was laying next to her.

'Mark, I...I don't know what to say. I've always had a-a crush on you, like I told you. Last night doesn't seem real to me,' Max said, turning her head to face him. 'But I don't want to leave you either.' she whispered.

'Come here,' he said, pulling her in his arms again. Max snuggled against his chest. Yes, they did have to take this carefully, yes they had to think about the implications but no, she didn't want to be without him.

She reached up to touch his face and smiled softly. She leant into him and kissed him gently. He responded in kind, embracing her back with one hand, the other reaching to the back of her head to bring her closer.

Their kiss growing more passionate, they each began to lose items of clothing. Max was feeling altogether braver than before, and snaked her hand down until she found what she was looking for. She began to move her hand up and down slowly, eliciting an exhalation from her partner. She broke off their kiss and moved down his body to replace her hand with her mouth.

'Max, you don't have to do this, if you don't-,' Mark started to say.

'Shhh, keep quiet,' she replied, ducking her head to him.

She took his length in her mouth, experimentally moving her head up and down slowly. He groaned in fervour, gently holding her head, his fingers entwined in her hair.

She soon found a rhythm, moving faster and wrapping her hand around the base at the same time.

It was her first time doing this but she figured she must be doing it right, judging by the heavy pants she could hear.

As she moved faster, so his breaths increased until she felt his release. She wasn't prepared for the salty explosion but did the only thing that felt natural, and swallowed.

Coming up for air, she smiled at his, 'Good?' she asked, tilting her head to the side.

'Come here,' he said, opening his arms to her.

She fell in his arms, the place where she felt the most comfort.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter has far more lovin' in it, and is much more explicit, so proceed with caution. Enjoy!**

They spent the rest of the day in bed together, either sleeping, watching movies or making love.

Max felt so secure in his arms, his touch was electric on her skin, he knew exactly how to please her and make her gasp with ecstasy. It was a shame that this would be the last night they could spend together.

'What are we going to do when we get back to Blackwell?' Max asked, snuggling under the sheets.

Mark had been flicking through the TV, and set the remote down, 'I've got no fucking idea,' he said, sighing heavily. 'We can't...people won't see it in a good light...your parents will be informed and I highly doubt I'll be teaching any more.'

'I'm sorry,' said Max softly.

'It's not your fault, Max, you didn't ask me to feel this way for you. You didn't ask for any of this. I wasn't planning on ever acting on my feelings, I thought I could just ignore them and they would fade away.'

'I'm glad they didn't.'

'I didn't mean it like that! Last night was so special to me, I've been enraptured by you for a month or more, it couldn't possibly be anything short of amazing to me.'

 _Huh, well he's got a way with words, that's for sure._

'We'll find a way, Mark, I'm sure we will. Maybe I can transfer to another school...' Max said, sitting up and placing her hand on his arm.

Shaking his head, he replied, 'That would be far, far too complicated with your scholarship. Raises a lot of questions too. Frankly, it'd be much easier if I transferred to another school.'

'Would you ever...?'

'I would, if I meant I could be with you. I was being serious when I said don't want to be away from you. If that was the only way to do it...'

'I can't ask you to do that.' Max said, shuffling closer to him.

'It's all right, I think we'll be able to think more clearly when we're home. Kind of feels like we're on holiday right now, reality's gonna hit us soon.'

'Then we should have one last bit of crazy fun tonight, right?' Max said, giving him a cheeky smile.

'Oh, and what do you mean by that?' he asked, returning her smile.

'How about you show me the benefit of your, um, _years_ of experience?'

'Years! Naughty girl, you make me sound ancient.'

'Well, it's true, right? You spent a lot of time around models, maybe you weren't just in for the art all the time?'

'Let me show you, bad girl.' he said, grabbing her wrists playfully.

She squealed with delight, he made her feel so _naughty_ sometimes.

He began to kiss her just beneath her earlobe, making her heart thump wildly in her chest. She gave another little squeal.

'You like that, huh?' he whispered into her ear.

'Yes,' she gasped, feeling light headed again.

He gently nibbled her earlobe and resumed his path, this time adding little nips along the way, causing little red marks to raise along the skin.

His hands were busy, caressing her breasts, teasing and pinching her nipples gently, just a little pain, not too much.

Max could feel her body erupting with goosebumps, her pleasure already beginning to build, a little flush creeping up her neck.

Mark so loved to see her enjoying his kisses and caresses, it added to his own desires.

He continued his path of kisses down her body, stopping to attend to her breasts, employing his tongue where it was needed. His hands travelled down further to between her thighs, to stroke her warm, wet vulva.

Max could feel herself opening up to him already, she wanted him so much.

'Would you mind if I was a little more...rough, this time?' he asked, looking into her eyes. 'You feel pretty ready to go,'

'Oh I am, yes,' she panted, feeling delicious at his touch, 'I don't mind, just don't be _too_ rough.'

'Anytime you want me to stop, you just say, Max.'

He turned her over so she was on all fours, and gently planted kisses down her spine, making her shiver.

When he was absolutely sure she was ready, he positioned himself and slowly entered her from behind.

'Oh!' she cried out, 'Oh yes, that feels fucking good.' She was surprised at the aggression in her voice. They hadn't made love in this position before, it was new and felt amazingly good.

He took hold of her hips and pulled her back onto him, so he was filling her entirely. 'You ok?' he whispered.

'Oh yes...please...' she gasped, wanting him to fuck her, rather than make love this time.

He began thrusting into her, slowly at first, but soon picked up the pace, causing her small breasts to bounce on each movement. It seemed he knew the exact pace to go to touch her sweet spot as she could just feel pure delight spreading throughout her body.

Her face was flushed, her eyes tightly closed, her hands balled up in the bedsheets. She was cursing softly under her breath, his thrusts becoming more urgent and more forceful. One hand moved from her hip to her shoulder so he could pull her further into him. She felt herself begin to crumble, her pleasure mounting higher and higher until she could take no more.

'Oh fuck, yes, yes!' she cried out. She heard his breathing become harsher from behind her but he wasn't quite finished. Just as her first orgasm began to wind down, she felt another one pick up, riding its predecessor's coattails.

If she thought her first had felt good, it was nothing compared to her second. She came again with a long drawn out cry, not quite a scream, but almost there. He continued to thrust into her, harder this time, and her second orgasm segued into her third. It seemed to last forever, she could feel herself pulsating around him, and soon she felt his own orgasm following hers.

They both collapsed, exhausted, panting heavily. Max giggled and covered her face with her hands.

'Wow!' she said, a huge smile on her face.

'Not too rough?' Mark asked, looking worn out.

'Phew, I've never felt so good.' she replied, reaching over for a glass of water. She was so _thirsty_!

'That's what they call multiples, my dear,' he said, taking the glass when she it offered to him.

'They can call it whatever they want, it felt amazing!'


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: OK, now the official Wiki is not very clear on Mark's age (at least the time I looked) but I've read things from late 30s to mid 50s, which is crazy.**

 **Anyway, for the purpose of this story, he's 38.**

 **Yes, I'm fully aware that this is NOT a healthy age gap, and without ruining the story, it is something that will be addressed in due course.**

 **Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews. I appreciate them all :)**

* * *

 _Monday 20_ _th_ _October_

They spent the night wrapped up in each other, sleeping peacefully. Max felt Mark get up, and she looked at her phone for the time.

 _Seven already?_ She felt disappointed, they had to leave for the airport in a couple of hours.

She sat up and rubbed her face, trying to wake up. She heard the shower turn on in the bathroom and noticed Mark's glasses on the bedside table.

 _Duh, obviously he doesn't wear them in the shower, Max._

She got an idea, a little smirk appearing on her face. She reached over and put his glasses on. The frames were far too large for her, and as expected, the lenses did nothing but warp her vision slightly. She picked up her phone and snapped a quick selfie.

 _I'd better keep that one to myself._ She took off the frames and replaced them gently on the side table.

She heard the shower being turned off and he came in to get dressed.

'Hey, you're awake,' he said, giving her a soft kiss on her cheek.

'Yeah, unfortunately,' she replied, her eyes downcast, 'I'd better get ready too.'

While she showered Max contemplated their next steps. Once they got back to Oregon, they'd take separate cabs. After all, Mark didn't live on campus and Max had classes in the afternoon, which was unfortunate.

 _Maybe we could have spent more time together if I didn't have class._

Quickly she dismissed that idea, people knew she was due back, and she'd said she'd stop by and see Kate before class started. When she'd arranged that, she'd had no idea she'd be in her current predicament.

Feeling mightily sorry for herself, she allowed herself to cry a little, the water mingling with her tears and washing them away.

How could it be that she was already so attached to Mark that she couldn't bear to be away from him for any length of time? She'd never felt like this about...anyone really. Even when her family had packed her up for Seattle, she didn't pine for Chloe, a fact she still wasn't proud of.

She turned the shower off and stepped out to towel herself dry. Wrapping her towel around her body, she gathered up the few personal items she'd left there, and on a whim, decided to help herself to some of the fancier bath salts.

 _Well, that's why they put them there, isn't it? Bad Max!_

Emerging from the bathroom, she dropped her things in the vague direction of her case and pulled some clothes out to get dressed in.

Mark was already dressed, reclining back on the bed watching the morning news.

'I thought you might be hungry, I ordered some breakfast and coffee,' he said.

'Thanks,' she said, gratefully. She was pretty hungry, since they hadn't eaten dinner last night.

She got dressed and wandered over to the bed to sit with Mark and cuddle up. He snuggled her in his arms, kissing her forehead.

'What's the matter?' he asked, stroking her hair from her face.

'Nothing, I'm just...,' she replied, twisting her fingers in her lap.

'Don't be sad, sweetheart,' he said, 'We'll work it out, it'll be okay.' He gave her a big squeeze to reassure her, but she couldn't shake the feeling of melancholy.

'Anyway,' he continued, rubbing her back, 'You'll go back to your dorm, see your friends and forget about me until class.'

'No, I won't!' she said, pushing away to glare at him.

'Relax, I'm just joking!' he said, palms up in a gesture of atonement. 'Look, let's just get back, see what happens and we'll take it from there. Why spend this time being miserable?'

He gathered her up in his arms again and held her close to him.

* * *

Exiting the cab outside the Blackwell campus, she swept her eyes over the usual suspects on the front wall. _There's Justin and Trevor...and awww, Dana's come out to watch Trevor skate, how cute._

Max was pleased to see Dana, so she gave her a big smile and wave as she walked up the steps.

'Hey Max!' called Dana, waving her over. 'How was your trip, superstar?'

Although she was feeling totally miserable, Dana always made her feel good. She was certainly suited to being a cheerleader.

'It was fun, Dana, thanks,' Max replied, sitting on the wall next to the blonde.

'And how was Mr Jefferson?' Dana said, giving Max an exaggerated wink.

 _If only you knew..._

'Uh, yeah, he was fine I guess,' Max replied, looking down at her shoes. 'I, uh, didn't talk to him much.'

'Somehow I doubt that, Max,' Dana said.

'What do you mean?' Max asked, an incriminating blush suffusing her face.

'Come _on!_ A chance for an expert to give you one on one advice for your future career?! I bet you were psyched to be talking shop with him, like, all the time.' Dana said, giving Max a little playful shove.

Max watched Justin and Trevor skate around for a bit, trying to get her thoughts in order. _I can't keep reacting like this every time someone asks me about him. They'll guess for sure if I do..._

 _Speaking of, I really should talk to Chloe._

'I'd better get going, Dana, I promised Kate I'd chill with her before class,' Max said, standing up and pulling phone out of her pocket, dragging her suitcase behind her.

'Later, Max,' Dana replied, giving her another cheery wave.

'Later Justin and Trevor,' Max called in their general direction, but they didn't seem to hear her.

Unlocking her phone, she saw 20 messages from Chloe, the latest one reading: WTF dude? Where the fuck r u?

Deciding that it wouldn't do to worry Chloe (she'd likely blast up in her truck, hassling people until she found Max), she quickly typed a reply: I'm back now, all fine, just going to class.

A small white lie, but she still couldn't face the scrutiny of her best friend just yet. She felt a little dejected as she made her way to the dorms as she realised she hadn't gotten a message from Mark. But perhaps he wasn't like her classmates, who were practically glued to their phones all day.

Just as she opened the door to her dorm, she heard a familiar, catty voice behind her.

'So, how was it Max? Mr Jefferson regret choosing you now?'

'Victoria, I really don't have time for this,' Max said, turning to face her.

'Of course not, I'm sure you've got to write in diary about how _dreamy_ your professor is and he totally looked at you once,' Victoria said, scathingly. 'This trip was wasted on you.'

'Look, I know you're jealous, but green really doesn't suit you,' Max retorted, having had enough. With that, she slammed into the dorm and stomped her way to her room. She opened the door and unceremoniously slung her suitcase and bag in the middle of the floor and shut the door.

Finally free of her burdens, at least physically, Max knocked on Kate's door.

'Come in!' she heard the blonde's gentle voice call from inside.

Max opened the door, greeted by Kate,who was cuddling her bunny, Alice.

'Max! I'm so happy to see you!' Kate said, enthused.

'Me too, Kate, how are you?' Max said, 'How's Alice?' She reached over to stroke the rabbit's soft fur.

'Oh, she's just fine, aren't you sweetheart?' Kate said, tickling Alice's chin. 'How was your trip, Max? Did you have a great time? I bet you did!' she continued, as she returned her pet to her cage.

She extracted two water bottles from her mini fridge next to her desk and offered one to Max.

'It was awesome, Kate, the gallery show was amazing,' Max said, taking the bottle from Kate and sitting down on her sofa.

'I'll bet it was! Did you have a good time at the dinner party? I bet you looked wonderful in your dress. Did you take any photos? Am I kidding, of course you did!' Kate was bubbling with happiness, her words tripping over themselves.

'Wow, that's a lot of questions! Yeah, um, the dinner was good, they had an orchestra...'

'So cool! I'd like to play in an orchestra one day,' Kate said, clasping her hands together.

'You're so talented Kate, I bet one day you will be,' Max said.

'Maybe, one day. Where's your camera? I want to see photos!'

'Oh, um, I left it in my room. I didn't really have time for photos...'

'Really?' Kate asked sceptically, ' _You_ didn't have time for photos?'

'Yeah...I was kinda trying to...live in the moment...I guess?' Max felt her excuse fall flat, but couldn't think of what else to say.

'Well, that _is_ important too. Maybe we spend too much time behind a camera or a phone. My pastor spoke about something similar in his sermon last month, it was really interesting...'

Kate continued to talk, and Max allowed herself to relax. She hadn't realised it, but she'd tensed up ever since Kate had asked to see her photos.

 _I can't keep lying like this. Maybe if I just avoid everyone..._

The girls continued to chat for a while longer, until Max noticed the time.

'Oh shoot, class starts in 20 minutes, I'd better get moving.' she said, standing up from the sofa.

'Okay Max, I'd better get ready too, I need to print my assignment out for English, I completely forgot until before you came by.'

'Let's get together next weekend for a tea session. On Sunday, after your morning service?' Max said as she was leaving.

'Sure, sounds good. Shall I knock for you?' Kate asked, at her laptop, searching for her document.

'Yep, I should be awake by then!'

'Okay, I'll see you then. Bye Max!'

'Bye Kate.'

Max left Kate's room, closing the door softly behind her. Glancing down the hall, she saw a few of the other girls leaving, presumably to get to their classes too.

 _I suppose I'd better go too. Nothing to bring me back to reality like math._

She fetched her bag from her room, then sluggishly made her way to class and managed to pay attention to exactly nothing.

 _Shit, I'm going to have to work extra hard trying to understand my homework._

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and her heart jumped with hope. _Could it be...? Oh wait, no, it's his class next, he can't have..._

When she checked, she saw it was Chloe again.

Chloe: Dude what the fuck, we NEED to talk

Max: I've got class

Chloe: Fuck that, we gotta talk. I'm outside, get ur ass out here

 _Fuck it._

Figuring she'd certainly had enough of photography for one weekend, she could skip class, and it would probably also save her from outing herself.

She hurriedly left school and found Chloe waiting in her truck in the parking lot.

'Get in, hippie,' Chloe said, leaning over and throwing the door open.

'Where are going?' Max said, climbing into the truck.

'Lighthouse, dude, where else?' Chloe said, lighting a cigarette before driving her beast of a vehicle off the school grounds.

* * *

Once they'd climbed their way to the lighthouse and settled in, Max sitting on the ground in front of the bench, Chloe stretched out atop of it, Max gave a huge sigh.

'I had sex with him,' she said bluntly.

'Holy fuck, what?!' Chloe sat up quickly and grabbed her friend's shoulder. 'Are you serious?'

'Yes, I'm serious,'

'Well...how was it?'

Max laughed, 'Of all the things to ask, you're asking how it was? It was great, okay, amazing actually, but that's not my problem.'

'Yeah, sorry,' Chloe said sheepishly, rubbing her arm. 'What the hell are you gonna do, dude? Isn't he gonna get in trouble?'

'Pretty sure it's a 'losing-your-job-and-reputation' kind of deal,' Max said, without humour this time.

'But, sorry for saying this, _why?_ Not that I don't love you dude, but he's taught, like, hundreds of students, why you?' Chloe wasn't trying to be rude, but it was a realistic question.

'Believe me,I thought the same thing, and the day after I didn't know what to do, so I just went back to my room. And he came to talk to me and said that he, and I quote 'couldn't leave me alone'.'

'Wow...' Chloe appeared to process this. 'I wish someone would say that about me. Maybe Rach will, one day.'

'How is Rachel, by the way?' Max asked, eager to get off the subject.

'She's fine and don't change the topic,' Chloe countered. 'Are you gonna see him later or anything?'

'I don't know, I haven't heard from him at all,' Max replied, fruitlessly checking her phone again. 'I should be in his class right now, anyway, but when you said to meet you, well, let's just say I feel I've already been taught a lesson.'

Chloe laughed, 'Man, sex makes you pretty funny Max, you should do it more often.'

'Again, not _really_ the issue I'm having right now.'

'Look, okay, you've gotta be stealthy – do you know how to do that?'

'Uh no, it's me, Chlo', when I have I _not_ played by the rules?'

'Yeah, yeah, good point. Hey, what's the age difference between you two again?'

Max buried her face in her hands and mumbled a reply.

'Dude, I can't understand you, get your hands off your face,' Chloe said irritably.

'Twenty. It's twenty.'

'Fucking what? Twenty?! Christ, dude, I had no idea!'

'See, even you think it's bad!' Max said, standing up and looking upset.

'Well, to be honest, it...kinda is. Did he say what _else_ was so attractive to him? I don't like the idea of someone taking advantage of you because you're young and inexperienced.'

'All I know is that when I'm with him, I don't feel so fucking _awkward_ all the damn time. Or anxious. I'm sick of that feeling in my chest. I'm sick of the weight of doing the right thing on my shoulders, or...or that I'll _never_ be accepted for who I am,' Max blurted. 'He came on to me, when I was just...me.'

'Look dude, I know it's hard for you,' Chloe said gently, 'But you can't just go for the first person who says something to you like that, you'll get eaten alive.'

'I'm not fucking stupid, Chloe,' Max said angrily. She turned to leave and added, 'I thought you'd understand, at least.'

With that, she angrily stomped off, leaving Chloe behind, who watched her leave with a defeated expression on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

Making her way back to campus, Max rehashed her conversation with Chloe in her head, She hadn't meant to get so annoyed with her friend, in fact, she'd brought up some good points. But the truth was, Max really was too wrapped in the excitement to think clearly.

 _Maybe he was right, it'll be better now we're back at Blackwell...I can think everything through clearly._

She felt a pang of longing in her chest when she thought of him. The way he held her, made her feel secure. She hadn't withdrawn into her darkest thoughts and fears at night when he was protecting her, she didn't waiver and panic over choices when he was by her side. He gave her a feeling of confidence that she didn't believe she had in her.

Her phone buzzed in her bag and she slowly retrieved it, not wanting to see the hurt message from Chloe, and to be disappointed by the fact that it wasn't from _him._

But she was wrong.

Mark: I need to see you.

All logical thought abandoning her, Max wasn't sure how to reply, when her phone rang, shocking her out of her reverie.

 _Oh, he does want to talk to me after all._

'Hello?' she said, answering the call.

'Max, where are you?' Mark replied, with no preamble.

'I'm...out,' Max said, 'I-I'm on my way back to Blackwell now.'

'You weren't in class, I was worried about you,' he said, sounded relieved that she was safe.

Max laughed, 'I think I had enough of an education this weekend, don't you?'

'Well, I can't really argue with that, now, can I?' he replied, laughing with her. 'But...I'd really like to see you, can I see you?'

'Wait, what time is it?'

'After five. Maybe we can have an early dinner, what do you say?'

'Well, I'm not really dressed for it...'

'Then let me cook for you. At my place.'

'At yours...' Max was hesitant.

'I'll make something simple, and I'll have you back before curfew, so you won't get busted, how does that sound?' he said persuasively. 'I'd really like to see you again.'

'Okay, sure, I'd really like to see you too,' Max replied, smiling to herself. 'Shall I meet you somewhere?'

'Tell me where you are, I'll come by and pick you up.'

Max told him where she was and hung up. While she was waiting, she received a message from Chloe.

Chloe: Dude, please don't be mad at me, it's just because I care

Max: I know, I'm sorry I stormed off, I've got a lot on my mind

Chloe: Just be safe OK?

Chloe: Maybe we can have lunch tomorrow?

Max: I'd like that (⌒▽⌒)

Chloe: Fuckin emoji...

Max giggled to herself and looked up to see what she recognised as Mark's car pulling up. Suddenly feeling shy, she opened the door and climbed in.

'Wow, it's just as fancy inside!' she said, looking around.

'God, I missed you,' Mark replied, leaning over to kiss her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his mouth on hers, her hand reaching up the side of his face.

He pulled away, breaking off the kiss, 'I'd better stop, or else we won't get very far.'

'What if I don't want to stop?' she asked boldly.

'You're a bad girl,' he replied, giving her a wolfish look, 'Maybe one day I'll show you.'

* * *

Max was impressed with Mark,'s place, it was large without being imposing, an architect's dream.

'This is amazing!' she enthused as they went inside. The entrance hall was short, doors leading off to the lounge and what Max presumed was the kitchen. At the end of the hall, there were stairs to the upper floor.

'It's home, at least,' Mark replied, flicking on the lights, 'Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a glass of wine?'

'Yes please,' she replied, going to the lounge and admiring the large framed black and white photographs on the wall. 'Are these yours?'

He returned with two glasses of red wine, and handed one to her. 'No, these aren't mine.'

'Same style though,' Max remarked, putting her glass down on a low coffee table.

'What can I say? I've got a type,' he replied, sitting down on the sofa. 'Come, sit with me.'

Max joined him on the sofa and picked up her glass and took a sip.

'How was class? God, that sounds weird, sorry,' she asked.

'Don't apologise, it was fine. The room always feels empty without you, though.' he replied, taking her hand in his.

'Did...did you mean what you said before?' she asked tentatively.

'Mean what? You need to be a little more specific.'

'Oh, you said that you're attracted to my personality...and that you'd noticed me some time ago.' It felt unnatural to Max to ask such questions, almost as if she was bragging.

Mark took her glass out of her hand and placed it on the table, then held both of her hands in his.

'I absolutely meant it. You're that kind of person who can talk to anyone, and when you do, you make them feel like they're the centre of your universe,'

'For me, people always seem to want something from me, whether it be for class, or work. There's not a lot of people who want to talk to me personally.'

For the first time, Max realised that Mark might actually be lonely. It was true that she didn't know much about him outside of work. What about his friends? Family?

Perhaps friends in the art world are transitory. When the fame ended, when your career was over, they didn't have much more in common with you.

'Have you always lived alone?' she asked suddenly.

'Not always, no,' he said evasively.

'Who did you live with?' Max persisted.

'It doesn't matter.'

'Yes it does, I want to know about your life.'

'Max, please, I really don't want to get into this,' he said, with finality in his voice. 'You're in my life, you're the one that matters.'

As if to keep her from questioning him further, he tugged her close in a passionate embrace, his mouth marking her skin with warm kisses along her jaw, down her neck. She broke away so she could take her jacket off.

Feeling brave, she pushed him back against the sofa and sat with her legs astride his and unbuttoned his shirt. She kissed him with a fierce passion, her hands on his chest, reaching round to scratch his back. Matching her intensity, he tugged her t-shirt off and slid her bra straps down her shoulders, his mouth on her neck, moving down to her chest.

She stood to remove her jeans and underwear, while he hastily unbuckled his belt and unfastened his pants.

She sat back on top on his lap and teased him by grinding her hips against his, feeling his excitement grow.

'How much do you want me?' she said softly in his ear.

He didn't answer, his heavy breathing telling her what she wanted to know.

She reached down and guided him into her waiting wetness, manoeuvring her hips to ride him gently, her fingernails dragging down his chest, his hands on her back.

Their bodies moved together, sweat breaking out on their skin, their heat rising. Their gasps of lust were the only sound in the room until, shuddering and trembling, Max felt her orgasm began to take over her. She buried her face in Mark's neck and allowed her cries of passion to flow. His hold on her back tightened, his breaths turned to ragged pants in her ear and he found her mouth to kiss her as he too reached his peak.

'I really did miss you,' he said.

* * *

Approaching Blackwell, Mark pulled the car over a few blocks shy of the school.

'I really hate to do this, but I don't think it's wise for us to be seen together at this time,' he said apologetically.

'I know, it's all right – it's not far from here anyway,' Max replied.

'I didn't mean to keep you out so long,' he said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

'Is my hair messy?' she said, touching it with concern.

'A little bit, yeah,' he said, smiling. 'That's my fault, sorry.'

'Don't worry, I don't think I'll be seeing anyone at this time, it's nearly curfew.'

'At least you made it in time.'

'Yeah...' Max looked toward the school. She'd take a shortcut anyway, through the trees, cutting through the parking lot and through to her dorm.

'Well, I'd better go,' she said, reaching over and planting a kiss on him.

'I'll see you soon, Max.'

She got out of the car and hitched her bag up before setting off. She hastily trekked down the leafy path and was almost through the parking lot when she heard a familiar voice.

'I have, like, no idea what that last class was all about. He was all over the fucking place.'

 _Fuck, it's Victoria._

Quickly ducking down behind a car, she just missed Victoria and Taylor walking by, both with lit cigarettes.

 _Was she talking about Mark? God, I hope she hasn't noticed anything._

Unable to waste more time, Max hurried back to her dorm and reached the door just in time.

'Running late, Miss Caulfield,' said Principal Wells from behind her, scaring her out of skin.

'Oh! Principal Wells, you scared me! I-I was just coming back from, um, from, uh, dropping a book off at the library. Y-you know, through the, um, out of hours slot?' Max couldn't help stuttering, he'd given her a fright and she'd had no excuse prepared.

Luckily for Max, the man either seemed to buy her excuse, or had other places to be as he merely nodded and left her alone.

 _All this sneaking around is gonna give me a heart attack before I even hit 20!_

When she made it to her room, she finally felt secure, yet exhausted. She slowly got undressed and into her pyjamas, wanting to both relive her day and end it.

 _Why wouldn't he talk about who he lived with? Maybe I should have pushed him more._

Her brain wasn't allowing her to speculate any longer, it'd been a long day.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Have to say a huge thanks to everyone who's reviewed this, I really appreciate it. And to the people who are following it. I never thought this would gain any sort of attention, so thank you so, so much.  
**

 **This chapter is a lot longer, but most definitely has more sex in it, so read on if you like that sort of thing!**

 _Tuesday 21_ _st_ _October_

Walking out of Blackwell, Max skipped down the steps and saw Chloe waving at her from her comfortable looking spot under a tree. Max smiled and waved back as she headed over.

'Hey Max, you're looking happy,' Chloe said. 'Got to do with a certain _someone_?'

'Ugh, stop it Chlo',' Max replied, sitting down next to her friend and nudging her shoe with her own.

'I'm guessing you saw him yesterday,' Chloe said, lighting a cigarette, her hand covering the flame so it wouldn't blow out in the breeze.

'Well, I – yeah – I did. I went to his house,'

'His house?' Chloe looked impressed. 'What's it like?'

'It's _big_. And you know, minimalist décor, you know,'

''Yeah, yeah, all the artsy bullshit. I bet there's fuckin' black and white pictures on the walls an' shit,'

Frowning, Max said, 'Well, you're not wrong there.'

'I am a psychic! Quick, ask me for the lottery numbers, I can predict your future!' Chloe raised her hands in the air in mock mystical style.

''Will you ever quit!' Max said, giggling. She reached down and pulled her lunch out of her bag and made a start on her sandwiches. 'You want?'

'Yeah, thanks dude.'

The two friends ate in companionable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Chloe's face taking on a faraway expression.

'Think about Rach?' Max asked, taking a swig from her soda bottle.

'...what? Oh yeah...' It was unlike Chloe to zone out unless she was stoned, and Max was pretty sure she wasn't. It wouldn't be unusual for this time of day, but maybe she'd wanted to wait until she wasn't on school grounds.

'Earth to Chloe,' Max waved a hand in front her face. 'You say I'm a daydreamer, jeez.'

'Sorry Max, I was just thinking...she phoned me late last night, and we talked for like, _hours_. I swear, she is the one.'

'Where is she today? I haven't seen her around.'

'I think she's faking sick, we talked until 4 or something, I can't remember.'

'You are so cute when you're in love. What did you talk about?'

' _Everything._ She wants to go to LA to be a model, and we figured out a plan. I'm gonna be in a band, we can live together, it will fuckin' rule.'

'Living together? Already?' Max was surprised – she'd never heard Chloe talk about someone like this before She was the kind of person who lived in the moment, didn't want to tie herself down.

'You're gonna tell me _you_ think it's too soon. Maybe I remind you-'

'All right, all right, let's not go into it here, please,' Max looked around, luckily nobody seemed to have heard them.

'Okay, I'm not going to shout it out, I do care about you dude,'

'It's not really a problem for me as such, as it is for him,' Max said. Talking about it only made her worry more. She tried to keep the thoughts out of her head, but like all problems, it had a way of forcing itself to the forefront of her mind.

'Hey, well, speak of the devil,' Chloe said, looking over Max's shoulder.

Max turned around to look in a very blatant fashion and internally berated herself. But it was the first time she'd seen him that day, and couldn't stop herself.

'I can see why you're hot for teacher, whoa,' Chloe said, watching him walk by.

 _Wow, he does look good and even better with in a suit and tie, damn._

'Girl, even though I don't play for that team, I gotta say, you picked a fuckin' winner there, he is damn fine looking,' Chloe continued. 'Hey, close your mouth, stop staring!' She tapped under Max's chin.

Max shook her head to compose herself. _Stop acting love struck, idiot!_

'I gotta get a grip,' she said, mostly to herself, but saw her friend nodding.

'People are gonna guess, you keep acting like that,' Chloe warned.

'I know, I know,' Max said, frustrated with herself, 'I don't know why I keep acting like this,'

'It's what I said yesterday. Don't get mad – but he's the first person to really show an interest in you, right? Unless you met someone while you were in Seattle.'

'You're right, you know you're right,' Max said flatly.

'I'm not gonna say the same thing over and over again, but don't forget, I'm here to talk to you. Don't keep all that shit to yourself,'

'There's not much to say, I like spending time with him, I'm happy,' Max said firmly.

'Well...as long as you're happy. But I am here. Always,' Chloe reached out and patted Max's knee.

* * *

 _I have absolutely no idea what's going on here._

Sighing, Max struggled on with her math assignment, frowning as she flicked through the pages of her textbook, scribbling her answers on her notepad.

Finally finished, she sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes, yawning. She turned in her chair to see where she'd tossed her phone earlier. In order to get any work done, she'd self imposed a ban on all electronics and luckily it seemed to have had some effect since she'd caught up on her math assignment.

She spotted the phone on her bed so she flopped down next to it, shoving her pillow behind her head to get comfortable.

 _Holy fuck is that the time?! No wonder I'm tired._

Max hadn't realised how long she'd been working – it was now 23 minutes past midnight. And she'd also received several text messages.

 _Far too late to respond to these now..._ There were a couple from Chloe (some sappy stuff about Rachel), one from Warren (a geeky question about some movie he'd just watched), one from Dana (a group text about planning the Halloween party) and one from her mother (just checking in).

Max was considering getting into her pyjamas or just crashing out in her clothes when she received another message.

Mark: Hey, are you still up?

Max hadn't spoken to Mark all day but was elated to hear from him, even at this late hour.

Max: Yes, I'm awake. Finishing homework

Max: Why are you up?

Mark: Same as you

Max: You don't get homework!

Mark: Someone's got to grade it, though

Mark: How would you like me to come by and visit

 _Does he mean...come to the dorm? That's a huge fucking risk!_

Max: Isn't that a little dangerous?

Mark: What's life without a little danger?

Mark: It's fine if you don't want me to

Max: No, I do want to see you

Mark: OK then

Mark: Give me 20 minutes and I'll be by

Max: My room is the last on the right - 219

Max: Don't get it wrong, you really would be busted if that happened

Mark: I won't

Panicking a little, Max hastily tidied up, throwing clothes into her wardrobe haphazardly. She stared at her desk and decided that she was far too tired to organise it now. Anyway, she was a student, it wasn't like it'd be an unusual sight for there to be books piled up, a laptop open, scattered notepaper and pencils.

 _Should I get changed? I've been wearing these clothes all day and they're uncomfortable now._

Figuring it wouldn't actually matter what she was wearing, she changed into her pyjamas, a cute set of t-shirt and shorts. She then sat down on her bed, unsure of what to do, her tidying had only taken her some 15 minutes to do.

The soft knock door on her door made her jump a little and she almost squeaked. _Calm down, you're gonna wake everyone!_

She quickly got up to unlock the door and open it. There he was, resplendent in the same suit and tie he was wearing earlier.

'You going to let me in, Max?' he asked, pulling her out of her reverie and she realised she'd been staring again.

'Yes, s-sorry,' she whispered, stepping back to let him in. 'Did you come across anyone?' She shut and locked the door behind him.

'No, not a single person,' he said, taking a look around. 'I like your photo wall.'

'It's my memorial wall,' Max explained, pointing out some of the pictures. 'These are my friends from Seattle, some of Chlo' and I years ago.'

'You were a cute kid,' he remarked.

'Thanks,' she replied shyly. 'I don't have anything to offer you for a drink or anything, I was going to go to sleep when you texted me.'

'It's all right, I only need you,' he said, sitting down on her bed and grabbing her by the waist. 'Cute PJs too.'

He lifted her shirt a little and gently kissed her stomach.

'I like your tie,' she said, tugging on it gently.

'Mmm, it's pretty useful too,' he said, drawing her down next to him on the bed, laying her down. He moved around so he was on top of her.

She tugged again, bringing his face closer to hers, 'Why don't you show me?'

He reached up and loosened his tie, taking it from around his neck.

'Are you sure?' he asked, fixing her with a gaze.

'Yes...sir,'

 _Sir! Where the hell did that come from?_

'You are bad, you know that right?' he said, his hand on her thigh, moving to the top of her shorts.

'Would you say I needed to be taught...a lesson?' Unfortunately, Max couldn't keep a straight face at her own ridiculous comment.

Mark laughed too, 'It's probably a bit much with the puns, huh?'

'I'm sorry, I can't help it,' she said.

'It's all right,' he replied, kissing her softly. 'I forgive you.'

Max reached up to unbutton his shirt, his hands inching her shorts down her thighs. Their kiss growing more passionate, he reached under her shirt to caress her unfettered breasts, teasing her nipples which hardened beneath touch his touch.

She felt a shiver of pleasure run through body, goosebumps appearing on her skin. She sighed and turned her head to the side, exposing her neck. His mouth moved from hers as he sat up to reach for his tie. He held her wrists together, above her head and gently bound them.

'So, I can't touch you, but you can touch me?' she asked.

'Looks like it,' he said, moving down her body to kiss her stomach, his hands on her breasts. His kisses trailed down her body until her was between her legs.

Max held her breath with anticipation, sighing with pleasure as he began to graze her clitoris with his tongue with soft gentle strokes. Already she felt herself begin to let go, the pleasure too much for her.

She wished she could hold onto him somehow, it was slightly frustrating not being able to move her hands freely, she she settled on wrapping her fingers around her bed frame. His tongue strokes became more insistent, so she could feel her pleasure building up inside her like a ball of molten liquid until she felt it overspill, her legs shivering as she cried out. He reached up with his hand to cover her mouth, lest she became too loud and in her passion she bit down on his fingers.

Her orgasm subsiding, she exhaled a long breath.

'You really shouldn't hold your breath like that,' Mark said. 'No wonder you're always light headed afterwards. I always thought it was my amazing prowess.'

She laughed, 'I don't mean to!'

He looked at his hand, 'You bit me pretty hard too,'

'Did I hurt you?'

'Of course you didn't, you'd have to do a lot worse to hurt me.'

Silencing her with a kiss, she felt him enter her, causing her to gasp.

'Oh! I wasn't expecting that,' she panted.

''Hhmm, and what were you expecting?' he asked, moving slowly within her, holding her bound wrists.

She found she could no longer speak, he felt so good inside her, she felt full with heat and excitement. His movements were slow, deliberate, she felt intoxicated as she held his gaze.

She also felt lascivious, she was mostly naked while he was still in most of his clothes, coupled with the fact she was with her teacher in her dorm after hours.

 _If you had told me I'd be here two months ago..._

He increased his speed, his own breaths turning ragged with desire, his hands gripping her wrists tighter. She, in turn, wrapped her legs around his back, bringing him closer inside her. Her gentle sighs turned into louder moans, a ball of heat inside her growing with each stroke until it burst forth, permeating throughout her body, her moans ever louder until he again had to cover her mouth. Her grip around his back tightened, her face glowing, eyes closed, head thrown back in pleasure as she came.

She opened her eyes, breathing deeply and said, 'I didn't hold my breath that time,'

'Ah, but I'm not finished yet,' he replied, shaking his head and turning her over. He placed her pillow in front of her. 'You're going to need this, I won't be able to reach your mouth this time.'

The sureness of his tone made her shiver with excitement. Briefly stopping to untie her wrists, she leant forward, grabbing onto the bed frame with anticipation.

It felt a little more rushed this time, he was inside her before she had a chance to think about it, aggressively pulling her hips to pervade her deeper than before. And it was almost certainly with more speed and force that he moved within her, each thrust causing her to moan with excitement.

She was still reeling from her orgasm, so it was easy this time, for her second one to pick up almost immediately. Her climax was as loud as it was unexpected for her. Her hands gripped her bedsheets tightly, face thankfully buried in her soft pillow where her noises could be contained. Perhaps because she had already peaked initially, her second lasted a lot longer and was possibly even more pleasurable. She turned to him and, with a confidence not belonging to her, whispered, ' _Fuck me,_ '

What else could he do but acquiesce – to him, she looked so beautiful in the throes of passion, her face was flushed, her hair a mess, her eyes full of desire. It was this that triggered his climax, and although he'd wanted her to come for a third time, found he couldn't stop himself.

They both collapsed with exhaustion, heavy with sweat and fatigue. Mark brought her close to him in a secure embrace, finding her mouth to kiss her, and swept her hair from her face.

'Max,' he said.

'Mmmm,' came the weary reply.

'I love you.'


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you liked the last chapter.**

 **In this one, we get a brief insight into Mark's thoughts. Enjoy!**

 _Wednesday 22_ _nd_ _October_

Sitting cross legged on Chloe's bed, Max heaved a long sigh and stared at the ceiling. Hearing the door open, she saw her friend coming in with a myriad of snacks and drinks in her arms.

'You sure you got enough stuff there, Chlo'? Max asked, eyebrows raised.

'Look, you wanna get stoned for the first time ever? You need to prepare your snack station because you are gonna be fuckin' hungry.' Chloe replied, dumping her treats unceremoniously next to Max.

Max's reaction to Mark's confession wasn't exactly _normal_ for her, but it freaked her out to such an extent that she wanted to see whether smoking something wouldn't help her mind wrap itself around those words and process them into a coherent thought.

 _I can't do it sober, let's see if I can do it drunk._

'OK, you ready?' Chloe asked, handing her a joint and lighter.

'As ready as I'll ever be,' Max replied, taking them from her. She placed the end of the joint in her mouth, flicked the lighter and touched the flame to the end. A satisfying crackling sound told her she'd lit it right.

She inhaled and immediately coughed, her eyes watering.

'Don't worry about that, happens the first time,' Chloe explained. 'Keep going, you'll be fine.'

Max didn't know a single thing about weed, so she wasn't sure if it was good, bad or even somewhere in between. She felt the rush of the nicotine from the tobacco within the joint in her head. She wondered whether she would get hungry right away.

'That's enough now,' Chloe said, taking the joint from her and taking a few tokes herself. 'You feel better now? You're not gonna start main lining heroin now, are you?'

'I feel...kinda the same?' Max replied, reaching for a can of soda and snapping it open.

'Yeah, it's not like the movies, give it a little time, you'll feel more mellow then anything.' Chloe explained, reclining back, her arm bent underneath her head.

Max followed suit, once again staring at the ceiling.

'You love him yet?' Chloe asked, turning her head to watch Max's reaction.

'Please, I wanted to get stoned to _forget_ about this whole thing. I mean, he can't possibly love me...can he?'

* * *

Even though he'd dispensed with the habit a long, long time ago, a cigarette was exactly what he needed right then. Besides everything else, it kept his hands busy. He had to distract himself. As much as he wanted to, as much as it pained him, he couldn't bother her, couldn't contact her.

As soon as those three words had been said, he wished he could take them back.

 _Why did you tell her that? Don't fuck up her life, she's too young for you._

A constant negative narrative ran through his head.

 _You want her to be just like you, is that it? At least you had your time, hers hasn't even begun._

He didn't regret sleeping with her, far from it. But he knew that she couldn't handle the depth of feeling that he gave to her. It would destroy her, she was far too fragile.

He thought back to when he'd first seen her, her little waif-like frame entering the room. It was cliché, but he was sure he felt his heart stop, just a little bit. That perfect face, unfortunately impaired by such _anxiety_.

Of course he had noticed her watching him, and as he had said to her, it was part of the job. Any vaguely good looking teacher captured the attention of their students, male or female. He liked it when she gazed at him, and upon being caught out, a lovely blush would suffuse her face. Seeing that blush was the closest he could get to seeing what she looked like in the throes of passion. He had sometimes fantasised about taking her on his desk, wondered what she would do, how she would feel, how she would sound.

 _So you just wanted to fuck her, is that it? Well, mission accomplished. Now you can leave her alone._

But that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted every part of her, and he wanted her to want him just as much.

 _And don't you always get what you want?_

* * *

Much later, Max was back at Blackwell, sitting on her sofa, regarding her bed with some apprehension.

When Mark had told her that he loved her, her immediate response had been to sit straight up and put her clothes back on. She practically leapt off the bed and curled up on her sofa. She couldn't think of a rational response.

'Max,' Mark started softly, sitting up and buttoning his shirt.

'Mark, please, don't,' she said quietly. 'I-I don't know what to say...'

'Say you love me too.'

There was a brief pause. 'I don't know if I do.'

'I...I'm sorry, Max. I didn't meant to scare you.' With that, Mark had given her a quick kiss on the top of her head and left.

She hadn't heard from him since, which, if she was being honest, she felt awful about. _What else did you expect?_

Remembering her conversation with Chloe, she thought about their age difference. He'd already experienced so many things, and she was just getting started. Would allowing herself to fall in love with him broaden her outlook, would she gain more opportunities, or would she simply get caught in a loving feeling, which might disintegrate upon closer inspection? Then where would she be?

And did she even love him, or was this admiration turned into infatuation? But what if the feeling _was_ real?

She looked down at her phone again, cursing herself. _Give it up, he won't want to talk to you after you brushed him off like that._

Her first experience with weed had been underwhelming. Sure, she'd felt mellow, like Chloe had said, followed by hunger, and now she just felt tired and gritty, like there was sand in her eyes. She rubbed them and took a sip from the water bottle that was next to her, hoping to clear her throat.

Although she was tired, she felt restless and apprehensive. _Perhaps smoking weed wasn't the best idea for my anxiety._

Figuring she wouldn't sleep any time soon, she went to her desk to collect her laptop, and ensconced herself back on her sofa. She looked through the movies on her hard drive and selected one at random, switching it on and placing the laptop on the low table in front of her. She knew she wasn't going to concentrate on it, but hopefully it would put her to sleep.

Some hours later, she woke with a dreadful ache in her neck. She'd fallen asleep at an odd angle. Slowly sitting up, she massaged her neck.

The movie she'd started had long since ended, the screen saver visible on her laptop screen. She tapped on the keyboard to check the time.

 _Five? At least I can sleep for a while longer, I don't have any classes until eleven._

As she got up and stretched, she thought about the rest of her day, and the fact that she had a class with Mark in the afternoon.

 _How am I gonna handle this? I can't keep skipping classes, I'll get suspended, probably lose my scholarship too._

Rather than think it about, she decided a much better plan would be to simply hide under her pillow, in her bed, until it was time to get up. Under the covers, she set her alarm and placed her phone on her bedside table. All she could now was try to sleep.

* * *

It was with an unusual swiftness that her previous classes and lunch break had practically raced by and Max found herself walking as slowly as she possibly could to photography.

'Hey Max, you all right?' Warren said, giving her an odd look as he passed by. 'You're gonna be late y'know.'

'Yeah, I- thanks Warren.' _I think that barely counts as a response._

She felt slightly nauseous as she reached the classroom door. _Come on, don't be stupid, just go in!_

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside and tried to look straight ahead as she walked to her desk, focusing on her chair. _Just get in, sit down, take your notepad out...try not to look up if you can possibly help it._

She fidgeted with her stuff as she took it from her bag, managing to drop her phone in the process. _Fuck, I hope I haven't broken it._ The back cover had popped off from the force of the fall and she fiddled with it, trying to replace it, but her fingers didn't seem to work properly. Getting annoyed, she just left it the way it was on the desk, figuring she would sort it out at the end of the day.

'Since we're all here, we can make a start now.' Max stared determinedly at her desk as Mark began his lecture.

 _He sounds fine, maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe he's changed his mind anyway._

She really couldn't concentrate, couldn't tell what the subject of the lecture was, and thankfully, no questions were directed at her. _Maybe he doesn't want to talk to you ever again, even in class._

She felt a little unwell, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach and she briefly wondered whether she was heart broken. _You'd have to love someone in the first place for it to be that. And you already made your mind up, right?_

She was grateful when the final bell rang out, signalling that she was free. _Free to do what? Mope around? Try and get stoned again? Why not try drinking, that might help._

Sweeping all of her belongings in her bag, including her fractured phone, she scraped her chair back and went to leave as quickly as possible.

'Uh, Max, please could you stay back a moment, I need to speak with you.' Mark caught her as she tried to rush by.

 _Fuck. Just tell him no, you're busy._

'Um, Mr Jefferson, I've got somewhere to be -' she started.

'Yep, and that's right here.'

She wanted to argue with him, but since there were still other people in the room, she couldn't possibly do it without arousing suspicion.

'Fine, _sir_.' she replied petulantly, sitting down on a desk.

With the last stragglers leaving the room, Max watched Mark close the door.

'Do you think it's fucking fair to use your authority to keep me back?' she began angrily.

'I'm still sorry about what I said, I shouldn't have said it,' Mark replied, walking to his desk to lean against it. 'I didn't mean to upset you.'

' _Upset_ me? I'm not upset, I'm fucking confused!' she said, standing up to leave. 'I don't know _what_ we're doing together, I didn't expect you to confess your fucking love for me, how did you think I would react?'

'Sometimes, things seem clearer in your head, but when you say them...'

'You should be more careful of what you say then!'

'Max, please, I really care for you, the last thing I want to do is hurt you.'

'I'm not _hurt_ , I just don't know what to do. I-I like you a lot, I really do but I don't know where this is going, we shouldn't even be in here together.'

'Max, I handed in my resignation this morning.'

She was momentarily stunned, 'You...you're going to leave?'

'I have to. It's the only way I can be with you. If only I hadn't fucked it all up.' He looked overwrought, like he'd already argued with himself over his feelings and coming to no greater conclusion.

'Where will you go?' she asked, taking a step closer to him.

'I haven't decided yet. Something will come up, it always does.'

'You just need to be...less intense with me,' she explained, taking another step closer until she could rest her head against his chest, should she want to. 'I've never done any of this before.'

'I know you haven't, I don't want to put any pressure on you,' he said, bringing her to him and stroking her hair. 'I don't care if you love me or not, I just want you to be happy.'

'But you _do_ make me happy, but not when you're saying crazy things like that,' She looked up at him. 'When do you leave?'

'I've got a month. Typically you can't leave during the school year, but I figured, fuck it, what can they do?'


	12. Chapter 12

_Friday 16_ _th_ _November_

With a week left at Blackwell, Max and Mark were behaving decidedly more careless about how and where they met. Since the rest of Max's dorm-mates were showing their school spirit at a pep rally, they didn't think too much about staying in her room for the duration.

Max had watched Dana practice her routine with the other cheerleaders a few times, and when she asked whether she would be attending the pep rally, Max had said yes, although she never had any intention of going.

But it was with a contented sigh that she snuggled against Mark, warm and satisfied in her bed.

'We've got -' she started, checking her wrist watch. 'About twenty minutes before you've got to be out of here.'

'I know,' he replied, eyes closed, looking like he wasn't going to be going anywhere soon.

She gave him a nudge, 'I mean it!'

He squeezed her lightly, 'Are you trying to get rid of me?'

'No! Just that, you know, you're still my teacher and if you get caught now...'

'I know Max, I know.' He reluctantly got up and began to get dressed.

As he was dressing he asked, 'How would you like to come to my place tonight? I could pick you up, I'll make dinner, you can stay over.'

'Ooh yes, please!' she said happily. 'I know just what to wear, too.'

'Don't tell me,' he said, opening the door to do a quick sweep of the hallway. 'I want to be surprised.'

'All right, I won't,' she smiled up at him. 'I would get out of bed to say goodbye, but I _really_ don't feel like getting dressed just yet.

'Mmm, don't bother, you're perfect the way you are,' He came back to kiss her goodbye, and she pulled him down with ardour. 'Stop, please, you don't know what you're doing to me.'

'I think I do,' she giggled. 'Now go, away with you!' She shooed him away with her hands.

'I'm going, I'm going. I'll pick you up at six.'

'See you then.' She blew him a kiss as he left.

Since their conversation a few weeks ago, Mark had been far less intense. He hadn't told her he loved her again, something she was grateful for. She didn't want to explore her feelings for him. She didn't want to be forced to choose whether she was in love or not. She wanted to enjoy the time she had with him. She had a feeling that she was good for him, made him feel important again.

The past few weekends, aside from ending up in bed, they had taken a lot of field trips to various exhibitions, having picnics even though the weather wasn't always perfect, and of course, taking photos. He gave her all the benefit of his experience, and she was an eager student.

He'd found another teaching job a few towns over, and wasn't due to start until the new year. Blackwell had found a substitute for his classes, someone who Max hadn't met yet. Mark had, and told her a little about them. Just a normal sub, expected to carry out Mark's lesson plans without much deviation.

Unfortunately, he would be leaving Blackwell on a sour note, considering that students on his course came for him in particular, but despite whatever offers to stay, he'd declined them all.

Max reluctantly pulled herself out of bed and pulled on her jeans and a t-shirt from the crumpled heap on the floor. She smiled a little at the memory of how they got there. Mark was still insatiable, not that she was complaining.

As she got dressed, she could hear the tell tale sounds of a crowd of girls descending on the dorm. If she listened closely, Max could hear them singing a chant of some kind, obviously ode to the Bigfoots.

 _Mark got out of here just in time, imagine if he'd been here when all these banshees came back!_

There was a party going on later that evening as well, so Max knew room doors would be opening and closing for hours, music would be playing and general shrieking would abound as they all got ready. It was actually quite enjoyable, a lot of the girls got in a really festive mood and were nicer than they usually were.

When the laughter and music reached its fever pitch, Max came out of room to observe the chaos. Opposite her room, Victoria's door was wide open and inside was the queen herself, along with Taylor.

Taylor was mostly friendly, so when she spotted Max, she waved. 'Hey Max, you coming tonight?'

'Uh, no way is she coming,' Victoria sneered. 'She doesn't like being with regular people.'

'Oh, I do, Victoria, it's just that I wouldn't class you as regular in any sense of the word.' Max replied.

 _It's great not feeling so worried all the time – I don't have to take any of her shit any more!_

'Now just listen here you -' Victoria began angrily.

'No, just stop it. I'm so fucking tired of fighting you, Victoria. I know we're never going to be best friends, but damn it, can we just _stop fucking arguing_?' Max said beseechingly. 'And anyway, I would have thought you would have taken that for a compliment. Who wants to be regular?'

This appeared to take the refined blonde by surprise. 'Ugh, I hate it when you're right,' she said, turning back to her reflection in her mirror to adjust her outfit. 'Just for the record, we're not friends, but I guess we can stop cat fighting. Especially in front of all those guys. I've got a feeling those sick perverts enjoy it.'

'They probably do, something to do with hormones, I guess.' Max said.

'So, you coming or not?' Taylor asked again, helping Victoria with her dress zip when she saw her friend was struggling.

'No, I've got a -' Max stopped herself, blushing furiously. _Oh shit, I didn't mean to say that._

'You've got a date?' Taylor squealed. 'Wow, how exciting, who is this lucky guy?'

'Um, no one you know...he doesn't go to this school.' _Well, technically, it's true._

'Mysterious, I like it. You kept that a secret, Max.'

'Yeah, you know me,' Max said, awkwardly going to leave. 'Anyway, have fun, I'll see you later.'

She hurriedly went back to her room and shut the door, leaning her back against it, shaking her head.

 _Fuck, when did I start being clumsy again?_

She checked the time and saw it was probably about time she got ready for meeting Mark. She felt excited to be going to his and staying over, something she hadn't done before. She wanted to question him a bit more about his life – since she had tried that line of questioning the last time she was there, she hadn't wanted to ask again. But she felt it was unfair that he knew so much about her, and she knew almost nothing about him, except what he told her.

She went to her wardrobe and picked out the outfit she thought would be perfect. Since she was a casual dresser, preferring jeans, and he hadn't seen her in a skirt since the first night they were together, she thought it would surprise him.

A simple flared skirt, with a length that just skimmed above her knees, a classically cut blouse, with a pair of heels that no one who knew her would expect her to own. Her mother had always told her to keep one formal but elegant outfit in her wardrobe.

She sang to herself as she got dressed and put her make up on. She was nervous but determined.

 _I'm going to get him talking about his life whether he likes it or not._

When she was ready, she put her only warm coat, picked up her bag and left. There were still girls getting ready and as she passed by Dana's door, she heard a wolf whistle.

'Ooh Max, you are lookin' _good_ ,' Dana trilled. 'Let's have a look at you.'

'Dana, have you been drinking?' Max said, laughing and stepping inside the room.

'Noooo, just energy drinks, I am stoked! Didja see?' Dana was still dancing even while applying her make up in the mirror, wearing a beautiful red dress.

'I did, Dana, you were awesome.' Max replied, crossing her fingers behind her back.

'You coming with us, girl?'

'No, I'm, uh, seeing someone.'

'Oooh, a date?'

Max cringed at the word. 'No, Dana, it's not a date, just dinner.'

'Dinner sounds like a date to me, Max,' Dana replied, setting down her mascara and looking at her. 'But it's cool, I know what it's like when people pry, I won't ask any more questions!'

'Have fun tonight, Dana, you look great by the way.' Max said as she left. She received a wink in response and thankfully managed to avoid the other charged up students on her way out.

* * *

The lights were dimmed, candles were lit, and a single white rose lay on the table in front of Max.

She picked it up and turned to Mark with a smile, her cheeks warm with a blush.

'Is this for me?'

'Yes, of course it's for you,' he replied, taking her hand and kissing it gently.

'Oh, thank you. I've never been given flowers before,' she said, 'It's beautiful.'

'At the risk of sounding cliché; a beautiful flower for a beautiful woman. You look lovely tonight.'

Max touched the soft petals of the flower, feeling a little shy. No one had ever made her feel so special before.

'I've just got to finish up in the kitchen, I won't be long,' Mark said, pouring her a glass of wine. 'A couple of minutes and I'll be back.'

Max nodded and took a sip of her wine. It was sharp and crispy and she found she enjoyed it, even though she rarely drank.

Picking up her glass, she stood to admire the prints on the wall. One in particular appealed to her. A very close shot of a woman's face, from her mouth down to her shoulders. Her lips were parted, showing her teeth, between which was her index finger. Her other hand was gently pressed against her neck, her long, elegant fingers splayed.

'Do you like that one?' She heard Mark's voice behind her. Turning, she saw he had two plates in his hands, setting them down on the table.

'Mm, yes – are you sure it's not one of yours?'

'Definitely not me. It was a gift from someone I worked with some years ago.'

Max returned to the table and sat down to eat, 'This looks amazing, thank you.'

'Don't thank me until you've tried it, you might hate it!' he said with a smile.

'So, did you work with this person often?' she said, taking a bite of her food.

'Rich and I worked together a few times, but I generally worked alone.'

'Are you still friends?'

'I kind of lost touch with everyone a few years ago, especially since I moved back here to teach.'

Max was pleased that he was opening up a little more. _I wonder if I can get him to talk about his past a little more, I don't want to push him too hard._

'So...how long ago did you move?' she said, trying to keep her tone light and casual.

'Back to Arcadia? Oh, about seven years,' He took a sip from his glass. 'Is the food okay?'

'It's lovely, I didn't know you could cook,' she said. 'I'm impressed.'

He reached for her hand across the table. 'I'm glad you came tonight.'

She could see how much he loved her when she looked at him. He cared so much for her, wanted to make her happy. She sometimes felt overwhelmed, particularly since they spent so much of her spare time together, but she also didn't want to be apart from him, couldn't say no when he asked her to be with him.

'I am too,' She wanted to keep on the subject before he could distract her. 'How long did you live in Seattle?'

'For a long time, too long probably,' he replied, looking a little perturbed at the memory. 'I moved from Chicago in about...'95, until I came back here, so about ten years.'

'Wow, long time.'

'It certainly was, and not all of it enjoyable.'

'Why?' Max felt she was pushing it, just a bit, but she was gratified that he was confiding in her.

'Because I was working a lot, and even when I wasn't...everything was pretty chaotic, you never really stop working. Even all the parties felt like a chore after a while.' He fixed her with a look. 'It's not easy. It's not always fun. You spend all your time working to make it...and when you do, you're still working just as hard to maintain your presence. Fame is fleeting. People have short memories.'

'Did...did you live with anyone while you were in Seattle?' Max gently questioned further.

'Yes,' He looked away, not meeting her eyes. 'Her name was Natalie, she was a model. We worked together a few times.'

'What happened to her?' Max realised she was leaning forward in her seat, intrigued to find out more.

'She...uh...she left. Moved to another city, LA, I think, I don't know,' He stood to clear their dishes, looking disordered. 'Are you still hungry? I'm afraid dessert is store bought rather than home made, I just didn't have the time.' Not waiting for an answer, he went back into the kitchen.

 _There's more to this, he's just not telling me. I wonder what happened to Natalie..._

When Mark came back with dessert, he found Max on the sofa, her shoes kicked off, her legs stretched out.

'Hope you don't mind,' she said, sitting up to take a plate from him.

'No, you can do whatever you want here, you know that,' he said, sitting next to her.

'I do love tiramisu,' she said, taking a bite. 'But I don't really like coffee in other things, like ice cream.'

'Not big on it myself, just need a cup to get going in the morning.'

'I think I found something else to get you going in the morning.' Max gave him a cocky wink.

'That's definitely more enjoyable than coffee,' he replied, rubbing her leg.

'So, can you tell me more about...Natalie?' Max tried to broach the subject gently, but she really was still clumsy, even in conversation. She felt his hesitation before her replied.

'Max, it was a long time ago, please let's not.'

'Mark, I know next to nothing about your life, aside from the fact that you take photos for a living. What's wrong about wanting to know about your past?'

'Because you don't need to know every single thing that went on, it's not who I am now, it's not important.' She could tell he was beginning to get pissed off, something she hadn't seen in him before.

'But it _is_ important, to me anyway. You know so much about me. Why won't you-'

'Because she cheated on me and left me, all right?' he said sharply.

'I'm sorry' she said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

'Don't be, I'm sorry for getting so...It's been a long, long time and I never think of her but she really fucked me over at the time. I don't hold grudges, I never had to patience, but I was young and naïve and you know, it fucking hurt.' He looked at her, took her hand again. 'That's why I don't want to hurt you. Someone who's older than you can crush you if they want to.'

'Was she older than you?'

'Seven years or so. Very experienced, actually got me in contact with a few magazines, I got contracts through her recommendations. And at that age, I thought that was it, my life was set up. Except one day I came back from work, all her things were gone, and she left me note. It didn't say much.

'When I saw someone who I thought was a friend, they told me that Natalie and he had been sleeping together for about six months. We'd been living together for about a year or so.'

'Shit, that sounds awful, I'm sorry.' Max leaned in to hold him, encircling her arms around him.

'It's all right, I'm not that person any more, I've gotten over it. I just, never really talked about it. You remember I said it seems no one talks to me unless they need something? Well, it's been that way for a long time. I guess I haven't told anyone that story before.'

'I'm sorry it happened to you, but I'm glad you told me.' Max said, resting her head against his chest. 'Why don't we go to bed? It's late, I'm tired, we can snuggle.'

'Sounds like a good idea to me. I don't know _why_ but I feel really worn out lately.'

She laughed and playfully cuffed him on the shoulder, 'Not my fault!' She stood and stretched her back and reached for his arm to pull him up.

'You know, all the times I've been here, I don't ever think we've made it to the bedroom.'

'You know, I think you're right.' Mark took her hand and led her upstairs. 'Wonder why that is.'

Along the staircase were smaller framed images, all magazine covers that Max recognised as Mark's work.

'So, do you hide your own work where only you can see it?' she asked, pointing at the photos.

'Yeah, it makes me feel good about myself when I come down in the morning,' he joked.

He guided her into his bedroom, which was starkly minimalist and muted like the rest of the house. A row of spotlights in black metal on the ceiling, a low bed with plain white bedclothes. Two tables placed either side, black metal legs, with round glass tops. Opposite the bed, on the wall, was a large screen television.

'Is _everything_ black and white in your house?' Max asked, beginning to undress.

'Makes everything simpler, don't you think?' Mark following suit, drawing back the bedclothes for Max.

'Mmm, this is lovely and soft, so comfy.' Max climbed in the bed and snuggled into the covers, and laid her head on Mark's chest, feeling incredibly comfortable and sleepy. He began to stroke her hair, lulling her into a doze.

'I still love you.' he said very quietly, but Max didn't hear. She was already asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

_Saturday 17_ _th_ _November_

Taking a bite of toast, Max scrolled through her phone, reading a text message from Chloe.

'Chlo' and I are gonna hit the beach today, hope it doesn't rain,' she said between bites.

Mark had been watching the morning news, but muted the sound and turned to Max, 'It's Saturday.'

'Um, yeah, I know, that's why we're going to the beach,' she replied, giving him an odd look. 'That all right with you?' It was meant sarcastically, but she was surprised to see him taking it literally.

'Well, I thought you and I could do something.' He looked put out.

'Sorry, but I'd planned this a while ago -' she started before being cut off.

'You didn't say anything to me,' he said tetchily.

'Didn't know I had to,' she retorted, getting to her feet. 'Anyway, I'd better go. I can walk, don't bother getting up.' Finding her shoes, she slipped them on and walked to the kitchen to deposit her plate in the sink. She collected her bag from the lounge, but Mark caught her arm as she walked by.

'Please Max, don't be annoyed with me,' he said, attempting to pull her onto his lap.

'I'm not annoyed,' she lied, resisting him.

He couldn't help but laugh. 'If I had a dollar every time I heard a woman say that...'

'Yeah well, keep your damn dollar, I'm going.' She pulled her arm from his grasp and went to his front door, opening it and stepping out into the cold morning. _Shit, I am gonna freeze._

She heard Mark close the door behind her, having grabbed his keys and following her out.

'Don't be silly, I'll drive you. It's too cold.'

'I'll be _fine_ ,' she insisted, but unable to control her shivers.

'Sure you will – now come on,' he gestured to his car. 'I'll take you back, it'll be far quicker and much warmer.'

She acquiesced, not bothering to fight so early in the morning. But she will still irritated by his comments, his annoyance at her not mentioning her plans. It's not like he told her what he was up to all the time. So she maintained a stony silence for the entirety of the journey, not responding to any of his attempts to talk to her.

He stopped the car at their usual meeting place and gave a big sigh.

''I'm sorry I pissed you off, Max,' he said, trying to catch her eye as she stared stoically ahead. 'I just thought we could spend the weekend together.'

'Mark, we spend _every_ weekend together, I haven't seen Chloe for ages,' she started, anger in her voice. 'I am allowed to have friends, right?'

'Of course, that's not what I meant, it came out wrong,' he said, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. 'I just wanted to spend time with you, is that so bad? You could at least have let me know.'

'I wasn't aware I had to get my plans approved by you. I'll be honest, I actually forgot until this morning, and you never said that you wanted to do something, I don't see why it's a problem.'

'Max...' he began, a little warning in his voice.

'Maybe I should just clear my whole fucking diary, just in case you want to do something, is that what you want? I'll just wait for you.' Max began to open the car door to leave but felt Mark's hand on her arm again, pulling her back.

'Get off me,' she snarled, wrenching her arm away and opening the door. Before she stepped out into the frigid air, she turned to him and said savagely, 'Fuck off, Mark.'

She slammed the door and stalked off, knowing that their close proximity to Blackwell meant that he wouldn't get out of the car, wouldn't follow her. But she was wrong. She heard his door slam closed, he caught up with her and spun her to face him.

'Don't tell me to fuck off – ever,' he said aggressively. 'I wanted to spend the weekend with you, that's all. I only care about you -'

' _Care about me?_ ' Max's voice was raised, but she didn't care who might hear them. 'If you cared, you'd be wishing me a good time and catch up with me later. It's not _my_ fault you don't have anyone else to talk to.'

She regretted it the instant she said it.

'There are girls who would _beg_ to be in your position, Max – girls who _have_ begged. Don't be so fucking arrogant.' With that, he left her and got into his car, tyres screeching as he made a fast exit.

 _That went well...But what did he mean by that?_

* * *

The cold wind whipped its way across the sand from the sea, chilling the two figures standing at the shore line.

'Who's idea was this again?' Chloe asked, pulling her jacket closer around her tall frame.

'Pretty sure it was yours,' Max replied, her teeth chattering. 'Come on, let's just go to the diner or something.'

They trekked up the beach, their shoes leaving footprints which were quickly engulfed by the sea's high tide. Once inside the shelter of Chloe's truck, Max urged her to turn on the engine to get the heater going.

'C'mon Chlo', I'm freezing my ass off here.'

'Yeah, yeah. Look, can't we go somewhere else aside from the diner. My mom and I kinda got into it this morning and god knows I see enough of that place when I'm on shift.'

'Uh, there _is_ no place else for us to go.' Max said, gesturing to the view with her hand.

'I fucking hate Arcadia.' Chloe gunned the truck and sped away from the beach.

Arriving at the diner, Chloe subjected the other patrons to her terrible parking, hardly bothering to keep within the boundary lines. Hopping out, she lit a cigarette and waved Max ahead, telling her she'd catch up with her.

Walking up the steps, Max felt a sense of calm overcome her. She'd spent so many happy times here, maybe she could forget her stupid argument with Mark while she was here.

She walked through to her favourite booth, at the back, near the jukebox, waving to Dana and Trevor as she walked past them.

She settled herself within a booth and picked up a sticky menu, although she knew exactly what was on it. She replaced it and turned with a smile when she heard a familiar voice.

'Hey now Max, why are you lookin' at the menu? I'd say you know damn well everythin' on it by now.'

'Hey Joyce, how are you?' Max said warmly to Chloe's mother.

'As good as I can be with that daughter of mine,' Joyce sighed, placing her notepad and pen in the pocket of the apron she wore around her waist. 'She is the livin' end.'

'She said that she'd had an argument with you this morning.'

'An argument usually means two people are talkin', but in this case, it was just her being a brat and me tryin' to get a sensible word outta her.'

'What was it about? She never said anything to me about it.'

'I just asked whether she could do an extra shift tonight since Shauna's son is ill and, well, I guess she's busy.' Joyce shook her head.

'Busy with Rachel maybe?' Max pondered.

'I swear, I thought that once she started seein' that girl, she'd straighten out, but she's stayed the same. Those late nights don't bother me, but when she's grumpy about it in the mornin'? _Then_ it bothers me.'

'I'm sorry, Joyce. Maybe I can talk to her.' Max said apologetically.

'That's all right Max, don't you worry. Now, what do you want?' Joyce pulled out her notepad and pen to take Max's order.

'I'll have some of those delicious Belgian Waffles, please Joyce – and black coffee.'

'Comin' right up sugar.' Joyce winked at Max and returned to the counter to yell the order back to the chef.

Chloe made her entrance, stopping by a few people she knew to greet them before ambling over to the booth to sit with Max. Sliding in the seat, she asked, 'Did my mom give you the third degree?'

'No, she never does!'

'Yeah right,' Chloe said, glancing towards her mother, who was pouring coffee for a trucker at the counter. 'So what's wrong, you seem, like, not your usual self.'

Max rubbed her arm absently before she spoke. 'I dunno, I just argued with him this morning, I guess I'm still pissed off.'

'Trouble in paradise, huh?' Chloe said with a grin.

'He was, all like... _possessive_ this morning. I told him we were going out and he got pissed because he said I didn't tell him.' Max explained, her face taking on an annoyed expression as she recalled his words.

'What a dick!'

'Eloquent. But yes.'

Chloe drummed her fingers on the edge of the table. 'You spoken to him since?'

'Hell no, I actually told him to fuck off.'

'Ha, woah! I guess he's never seen your temper, has he?' Chloe looked amused.

'It was so stupid, I'd gotten out of the car and he came back to tell me off. And I kinda said he didn't have anyone else to talk to, apart from me.'

'Shit, way harsh Max,' Chloe winced. 'You really said that?'

'Yes, unfortunately,' Max wrinkled her nose. 'But he said something after, something I didn't understand.'

'What?' Chloe leaned forward in her seat conspiratorially.

'He said – oh, shit, hold on. Warren's coming over.' Max glanced around Chloe and saw the boy walking towards them.

'Yo Max! You okay? You were totally weird yesterday.' Warren said, leaning against the side of the booth next to Chloe.

'What? Oh yeah, just, um, female trouble.' Max had to avoid Chloe's gaze, sure she was going to laugh at the obviously made up excuse. It seemed to satisfy Warren, who stepped back a little.

'Yeah, uh, that's, uh, cool. Not that I know anything about that.' He stated hastily.

'I should say not, young man,' Joyce had appeared behind him with Max's food and startled him so he jumped back a little. Max and Chloe couldn't hold their laughter at his reaction.

'I'm sorry Warren,' Max said between giggles. 'I don't mean to laugh at you. Come here.' She beckoned him over and gave him a quick hug, his expression quickly turning from embarrassment to joy.

'You can laugh at me any time as long as it means you'll hug me after,' his cheeks were a little flushed. 'Anyway, I only came to say hi quickly – I was sitting back there,' he continued, thumbing behind him. 'I'll see you around campus, yeah?'

'You sure will,' Max gave him a warm smile.

'So...continue!' Chloe was leaning forward again, a gleam in her eye.

'You're such a gossip, Chlo',' Max made a start on her meal, chewing thoughtfully before talking again.

'He said that other girls would beg to be where I am and that they _have_ begged. I don't know what he meant by that.'

Max was surprised to see that Chloe pulled back, her expression suddenly shifty.

'You know something, don't you?' Max said, pointing her fork at Chloe. 'Tell me.'

'It's not...no...I can't...' Chloe hesitated and stuttered with nervousness.

'Come on, why can't you?' Max urged her, putting her cutlery down, shoving her plate to the side. 'What do you know?'

'I promised her I wouldn't say anything.' Chloe was twisting her hands together, something she only did when she was experiencing a dilemma that she didn't know how to solve.

'Promised _who_?' Max could feel her temper rising again. _Why is everyone being so damn cryptic?_

'Promised...Rachel,' Chloe was practically whispering.

'Chloe...' Max said warningly. 'Please tell me.'

'It's just, uh...you aren't going to want to hear this.' Chloe wasn't even looking at Max any more, her head bent so low, Max could see where her strawberry blonde roots were just beginning to peek through the blue dye.

'Just fucking tell me, _right now_.'

'A-at the end of summer, just before...just before the term started, Rachel and Jefferson...'

'Yes...they _what_?'

'They slept together.'


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for the recent reviews, I appreciate all of them so much. It makes me so happy to see them in my inbox!**

Max wasn't sure it was possible for her to be angrier with Mark than she already was now her rage was constantly simmering just below the surface.

When Chloe had finally told her, she'd calmly said, 'Okay.'

She couldn't really be angry with Chloe, it wasn't her fault.

'I'm sorry Max, she only told me, like, a few days ago,' Chloe said quickly, seeing how upset Max was.'It was so spontaneous, it only happened once. She said he'd been helping her with something, they'd spent a lot of time together and it just...happened. Never again though.

'She's not really into guys, I-I think it was nothing but a-a moment of madness? She told me that she regrets the fuck outta of it, pretty sure he does too.'

'But Chloe, how did she come to tell you this, _if she doesn't know that I've been seeing him?_ ' Max knew the answer, but still wanted to hear it from her friend.

Her head still bent low, Chloe said, barely audible, 'I told her.'

'All right, thank you,' Max said, standing abruptly, sliding out of the booth. 'That's all I needed to know.'

She stalked out of the diner, clattering the door open and jumping down the steps. She glanced down the road and saw the bus coming, so she made her way to the bus stop. Looking up at the diner, she saw Chloe in the window, on her phone. _Probably telling Rachel I know. Does she think I'm going to do something to her?_

What bothered Max the most was that while Mark was acting possessive, he was holding a secret that he never intended to tell her. And what was that he'd said in San Francisco? She was _special_. Maybe he figured if he flattered her enough, she would fall for his charm. _Bastard_.

The bus stopped and she climbed aboard, dutifully flashing her student ID card before taking a seat at the front. Her head hurt, so she massaged her temples, hoping to stop the onset of a headache.

Now she realised she didn't really have anyone to talk to, ironically in the same position that she'd accused Mark of being in. She supposed she could sit with Dana, but she was probably with Trevor and she didn't feel like being cheered up. Kate would notice something was up immediately, and would probably comfort her, which might bring Max to tears that she didn't want to shed.

Warren. He wouldn't ask any questions, he just wanted a chance to be near her. Maybe she could use some adoration.

* * *

Max waited outside the boy's dorm, rapidly firing off a text to Warren, hoping he was back in his room already.

Max: Hey Warren, you around?

She was in luck, she received an almost immediate reply.

Warren: Yeah, just hanging

Warren: Everything OK?

Max: Yeah, I'm fine

Max: I'm outside your dorm, can I come hang with you?

Warren: Sure!

Within twenty seconds, he was at the door, greeting her with a huge grin.

'Max!' He stepped forward and gave her a huge hug.

'Ah! Good to see you too, Warren, but you can put me down now.'

'Sorry,' he said sheepishly, letting her go. He held the door open, ushering her inside and she stepped over the threshold, noting that this dorm didn't really look much different from hers. Judging by the messages on the door slates, the maturity level was slightly below the girls, but that wasn't really saying much.

Warren showed her through to his room, where she wasn't surprised to see a lot of movie posters and various geek memorabilia scattered around.

'So, what's up, you wanna talk, or something else...?'

'I just wanted to be with a friend, Warren,' she said, sitting on his bed. He joined her, sitting a little too close as he always did. _You've got to learn how to be more subtle, Mr Graham._

Rather than increasing the distance between them, Max studied his face, staring into his brown eyes. She could make him happy, could absolutely make his day, but it wouldn't be right.

Instead, she ducked her head, leaning her forehead against him, feeling his arms go around her. _He does give great hugs._

'I don't know what's up with me, Warren,' she said into his chest. 'I'm all messed up.'

'It's all right Max, you...you don't have to tell me what's wrong. You can stay here as long as you want.'

'Thank you,' she said softly.

And stay she did. Warren held her for a long time while she just savoured the feeling of security. He gently extracted himself and put on some movie for them to watch, and fetched a blanket so they could lean against one another in companionable silence. It got pretty late before Max decided she had to go back to her room.

Before she left, she cuddled Warren close to her and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

'Thank you for being...you,' she said at the door of the dorm, preparing to depart.

'I can't be anything else but,' he replied with a shrug. 'Text me when you get back, I wanna make sure you're back safe.'

She nodded in the affirmative and made her way back to her room.

It wasn't late, but winter had drawn the nights in early, and her journey back was sparsely lit. She used to like the view, but now she didn't really care to appreciate it. She walked through the parking lot, noting a large, dirty RV parked in the corner. _Who the hell does that belong to?_

She was so preoccupied with it, she didn't notice a familiar car in one the staff parking spaces. When she did, however, she came to an abrupt stop.

 _What the fuck? Why is he here?_ She tried to figure out the best way of getting past without doubling back and circling the whole school when Mark exited, coming towards her.

 _Fuck this._ Max turned and resolutely began walking the other way.

'Max!' She heard him call for her, and she slowed, but didn't stop.

'Max!' He called again and this time she did stop.

'What do you want?' she said as he caught up to her.

'I want to talk to you.'

'Oh. Is it about the _other_ student that you fucked, huh?' she asked aggressively. 'Is it? Because if it isn't, then you can _fuck off._ And if you're bothered by me saying that, then I really couldn't give a fuck.' She continued walking back the way she came, thinking she could text Warren and he'd let her sleep in his room tonight.

'What the hell are you talking about?' Mark asked, trying to keep his voice down.

'I know, all right? _I know._ Somebody finally decided to let me in on the secret.' She pulled out her phone, composing a text to Warren.

'Who told you?' Mark tried to get her to stop by yanking on her arm.

' _Get off me_ , I told you before, not to touch me,' She was gratified that Warren was still keen enough to respond to her right away, offering her a safe haven. 'You'd better go, someone's going to see you, and you're going to be in a shitload of trouble if they do.'

'What, you're going where? That's not your dorm.'

'I know that. I'm going to stay with a friend.' She stopped walking and faced him properly. 'So, please leave, before he comes out.'

'What friend?' His voice was tinged with jealousy, which made her laugh.

'Oh! You sound jealous. At least I'm not hiding it from you. Warren, if you really want to know.' She started walking again, nearly at the door.

'Max, please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you -'

' _Christ,_ will you stop saying that! You do _nothing_ but hurt me,' The tears that had been threatening her all day finally spilt, hot tracks etching down her face. 'Just please, let me be, Mark. Please.'

And she left him there, stumbling a little as she climbed the steps to the dorm, wiping her tears away with a harsh movement.

Warren didn't ask any questions. Just let her in and held her as she sobbed. She felt so stupid, and immature and gullible. They fell asleep together, she is his arms on his bed.

When his alarm sounded in the morning, he extracted himself carefully and left her sleeping. When she woke, she felt stiff and uncomfortable. Warren was at his desk, playing what she assumed was probably WoW.

'Hey,' she called over to him softly. He pulled off his headset, turning in his chair, resting his arm across the top.

'Hey, you're awake,' He smiled at her. _At least he's happy to see me._

'Yeah, but I'm not happy about it,' she replied, getting up from the bed. 'Thanks for letting me crash, Warren. I think I'm gonna head back to my room and sleep a little longer.'

'Oh okay,' he said, sounding disappointed. He got up to hug her warmly. 'Text me anytime, you can always stay here.'

Max left, closing the door carefully behind her. As it was Sunday, most students were either sleeping off hangovers or visiting their families so there was no one to run into and explain herself too.

Once back in her room, she sat down heavily on her bed. The last time she been here for any length of time was to get ready to meet Mark on Friday night. She'd only changed her clothes yesterday, literally dashing in and out so her desk was a mess of make up and her pretty outfit was discarded on her sofa.

 _How the hell did I get here?_

She lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling empty. She'd put her all energy into her relationship and now it was crumbling around her. _Stupid, stupid! Should have listened to yourself before._

She buried her face into her pillow and gave a cry that was somewhere in between frustration and misery.

An insistent knock came from her door. Barely moving her head she called, 'Go away!'

Whoever it was neither heard nor cared as the knock came again.

'What?!' she said angrily. The knocker took this as a cue to enter and she was surprised to see Rachel Amber standing on the threshold.

'Oh, you. What is it?' Max spoke sulkily but realised she couldn't direct her anger at the blonde, since she hadn't even been attending Blackwell when the incident occurred.

Without asking permission, Rachel swung the door shut behind her and sat on the sofa, one long leg crossed over the other. Max had to admire her cool attitude, she didn't seem fazed in the slightest. She looked like she should be smoking a cigarette, or a joint, judging by the way she tapped her fingers restlessly.

Max stared at her, inviting her to get going and start talking.

'So...I don't really know where to start. What did Chloe tell you?' Rachel spoke, appearing disinterested as she studied her nails. 'I don't want to tell you what you already know.'

'You're pretty forthright,' Max said, standing up. She felt a little intimidated by Rachel when she was on her bed. 'You can start from the beginning.'

'The beginning...' Rachel tilted her head to the side, considering the statement. 'Well, I swung by Jefferson's office on a Friday afternoon. There was some bullshit orientation on campus thing going on, you were probably even there. Most of the newbies were.

'My GPA is pretty high, but I can always do better, so I'd been working with him to improve my portfolio. We'd been working together for weeks, lots of time together, y'know? And just to make this perfectly clear: I flirt with _everyone_. I don't really do it on purpose. My mom does it too, drives my dad insane.'

Max could easily believe this. The way people talked, it was like Rachel was a walking mirage. Victoria hated her, she practically spat venom every time Rachel passed her by.

'So, y'know,' Rachel continued, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. 'Close proximity, and I won't lie, I think Jefferson's pretty good looking. I know why you're hot for teacher. I also like a challenge. I'd been coming onto him for _weeks_. The entire time we'd been working on this project.

'He's really dedicated to his work, it took a lot for me to crack that shell. Everyone's got a weakness, his is whiskey. Makes a change, huh? Woman getting a man drunk?'

'Why?' Max asked. 'Why did you do it?'

Rachel stood and came close to Max. 'To see if I _could_.' She caught Max's hand in hers, gazed into her eyes.

'Chloe told me you regret it,' Max found it hard to speak with Rachel in such close proximity. She could smell her perfume, she was so close.

'I always regret my conquests,' Rachel said simply, letting go of Max's hand, expanding the distance between them. 'I'm going to LA, I need to be hard, _unbreakable_. If you're not, they'll fuck you right into the ground.'

She looked directly at Max with a hard stare. 'And I don't like being fucked unless it's on my terms.'

She appeared to be bored of the conversation as she flopped back down on the sofa again.

'So we had a few drinks, and I guess he hadn't had time to stop for lunch, because he seemed pretty gone. Thing is, I was pouring the drinks and when I was supposed to be putting water in it, I poured more booze into his. He was on six shots to my three.'

'Does...does Chloe know all of this?' Max asked, marvelling at Rachel's cold recollection.

'Most of it, yeah.' Rachel played with her hair, twirling it around her finger. 'Making a long story short, I pushed myself on him, and the booze likely carried him away with himself. He did look guilty afterwards, though. Told me he was sorry, but the pleasure was all mine.'

'You...you were playing with him,' Max said, putting a hand to her chest and sitting down heavily.

'It's all a game to me, Max,' Rachel said simply. 'Look, I'm not gonna be at this school much longer, I've moved on from this, I suggest you do the same.'

'Don't hurt Chloe,' Max said, getting angrier with the blonde, who looked like the world owed her something.

To Max's surprise, Rachel's expression softened, 'I won't – ever. She's the only one who calls me on my bullshit. She means the world to me.'

'Promise me,' Max said, her chin tilted with defiance. 'Promise me you won't hurt her.'

'Max, I promise. Last thing I would ever do.'

 _She's sounds sincere, but she's a pretty good actress._

'You should be in movies, rather than modelling,' Max stated.

Rachel laughed as she stood to leave, 'That's plan b. Well, good talk Max. I don't blame you if you're still pissed at him. But maybe think like this: life doesn't always work the way you want it to, and neither do people. If you don't like the way he's treating you, then walk away. It's simple.'

 _Simple. To you maybe._

Max sat thinking for a long while after Rachel left. _Walk away._ Could she still trust him? Maybe she should give him a chance to explain. _Explain what? He straight up hid this from you._

She thought about not seeing him again. The following week would be the last time she saw him. Her chest tightened and she felt a little sick. Again she questioned her feelings for him, and thought that what she felt was more than infatuation and jealously. _Maybe it is love._


	15. Chapter 15

_Monday 19_ _th_ _November_

Max found herself hesitating at the photography classroom door again. She heard a familiar voice say her name and felt a hand on her upper arm. She turned and looked up into Mark's eyes. He looked dreadful, as though he hadn't slept.

'You look...awful,' she said quietly.

'I feel even worse,' he said rubbing his face. 'Let's not linger out here.' He glanced down the hallway, noting the rest of the class making their way to the room.

Max felt guilty as she sat at her desk but chastised herself. _You're not responsible for this._

Mark sounded exhausted as he half heartedly began his lecture. It lacked his usual warmth and passion, so much so that Victoria and Taylor starting whispering amongst themselves. Kate shot a glance at Max, clearly perplexed and she could only shrug back helplessly.

'Um, Mr Jefferson,' Victoria began, her manicured hand raised delicately. 'What's going to happen when you leave?'

'It's all under control Victoria,' Mark said, waving his hand dismissively.

'But I came to Blackwell _specifically_ for this course,' she continued, looking around for support from the other students.

'Everything will be covered in my lesson plans, Victoria.'

'But Mr Jefferson, I don't see -'

'Victoria, that'll be all, thank you,' Mark said firmly. 'Please come and talk to me about this _personally_ another time.'

Victoria huffed to herself, turning to Taylor with an incredulous look. It appeared she wasn't going to waste her attention any further, judging by the way she started furiously tapping her phone.

Max noted that the rest of the class were sharing quizzical looks, and she was sure the same expression was on her face. Mark glanced at her with a weary look, then continued on, in the same bland fashion.

It was clear he'd lost the room now. No one was paying any attention, which was just as well, because the way he was projecting, it was obvious his heart wasn't in it.

When class was over, Victoria haughtily stalked out, turning her nose up at Mark as she left. _Ouch, she's pissed about this._

Max stayed seated at her desk, fiddling with her notebook, wasting time.

'Max, you want to get something to eat?' Kate asked.

Max hadn't even noticed the blonde approaching her desk. 'Oh, um, I've got to talk to Mr Jefferson, can I take a rain check?'

Kate smiled warmly, 'Of course! Come by my room, maybe we can have a late supper.'

Max watched her leave, she was the last student in the room, barring herself.

'Mark...' she started, trying to gain his attention. He was sitting behind his desk, seemingly involved in something on his laptop.

'Mark,' she said again, a little louder. He looked up, he seemed surprised to see her. 'Can we...talk?'

'You want to talk to me?' he asked sceptically. 'Don't feel sorry for me, Max. You're better off having me out of your life.'

'Let me make that decision,' she said, a little burst of defiance in her voice.

'Please, I don't want to fight with you any more. I fucked up, really fucked up. I just keep hurting you and you don't deserve that.'

'Oh, don't tell me what to do!' She stood up suddenly, her chair scraping back.

'Do you want to argue?' he asked, standing too, going to the door and locking it. 'You really like arguing in public, anyone could come in,' He strode over to her desk with irritation. 'Okay, so shoot, what do you want to say?'

'I spoke to Rachel Amber,' she said, folding her arms. 'She told me what happened. You were drunk, is that your excuse?'

'It was more than that, Max. I was ...flattered by the attention. It'd been a _long_ time since a woman showed me any kind of attention, and yes, drinking probably wasn't a good idea.

'I wasn't thinking clearly, she was all over me, and I'm...fucking weak. I'm not proud of myself.'

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'How do you think you would have reacted to that?'

'Right, but look at how I reacted when I found out this way?' Max said angrily. 'You should have been fucking honest.'

'And I'm sure you're always honest too, Max, right?' he shot back. 'What happened in your friend's dorm Saturday?'

'What the hell has that got to do with it?' Max asked, looking baffled.

'You spent the night with someone else, who knows what you did,' he said accusingly.

'Oh my god, he's my fucking _friend!_ ,' Max said loudly. 'I didn't do shit with him, except watch a movie and go to sleep! And is this _really_ your defence?'

'You were upset that night, he could have taken advantage of you -'

'Oh right, like you did, huh?'

Mark glowered at her. 'I asked you if you were fine with everything we did, every step of the way, so don't say I took advantage of you.'

Despite her anger, Max felt a spark of excitement run through her. She hadn't seen Mark since Saturday night, and even though they were shouting at one another, it felt good to have some kind of emotional connection with him again. She deliberately took a step closer to him, closing the gap somewhat.

'Hey, you know what? Fuck you, I don't need this.' She put her hand up to push him aside, but he pushed her back against her desk.

He leant down, his face close to hers and said, 'Don't. Say. That.' He kissed her, hard, not gently like he usually was. He pulled her up a little so she was sitting on the desk and pressed himself between her legs, his hands roughly yanking her hoodie down off of her.

Max's breath caught in excitement, his dominance making her feel a little weak. With the pressure he was using while kissing her, she felt herself be pushed down, so she was practically lying on the surface, one of his hands behind her neck, the other on her thigh, sliding higher. Her hands had reached up to glide underneath his blazer, bringing his body closer to hers. The thrill bringing a wet, warm heat between her legs.

He broke their embrace, his breath heavy, and unbuttoned her jeans with haste, she seeking to do the same to him. Then he was inside her, driving into her with speed bordering on impatience. It was rough, but she found herself matching his aggression, digging her heels into his back. The edge of the desk was hurting her back with each thrust, but she used the pain to bring her hips up to meet his, his ragged pants in her ear before he spoke, 'Every time you sit here, I want you to think about me fucking you.'

She felt her pleasure mount at his words, a bolt of excitement ran up her back, her fingers seeking to scratch his back, her legs tightening around him as she came, but it was short lived as his own quickly followed. His breaths still in her ear, he spoke again, 'Fuck, sorry. Didn't mean so damn quick.' He got off her, giving her a chance to regain her breath, adjust her clothing.

'S'alright,' she said quietly, hardly believing it had happened, it had been so fast.

'I promise, I'll make it up to you.'

'Damn right you will!' she said , not really meaning it. 'So...I guess we made up, huh?'

'That's up to you, Max. Can you forgive an old guy a stupid, stupid mistake?'

She considered again not seeing him again, not spending time with him, not being with someone who liked the exact same things as her and exploring her interests together.

'I think I can,' she said with a smile, reaching to touch his hand. 'Look, I-I'd better go, I said I'd see Kate.'

She hopped off the desk and wrapped her arms around him, placing a kiss on his chest. His arms closed around her and she felt secure once more. He kissed her on the top of her head.

'I missed these kisses,' she said, sighing.

'You'll get all of them and more, I promise,' he said, squeezing her before letting her go. 'Now go on, I'll catch up with you. Wait for my call, all right?'

* * *

As she entered the dorm, Max smacked straight into Rachel, who was on her way out.

'Hey Maaaaax,' Rachel drawled, looking a little stoned.

'Um, hey Rachel,' Max replied, looking down at her shoes. Rachel still managed to intimidate her.

'Did you make your choice?' Rachel asked.

'Yeah, I did, I hope it's the right one.'

'Won't know until time passes, darlin',' Rachel said, clapping her on the shoulder heavily. 'You're all right, Max, I like you. You're smart. I'm sure you did the right thing.'

'Yeah, thanks Rachel.' Max looked confused but didn't pursue a conversation with the girl.

'I'm seeing Chloe tonight, want me to tell her anything?' Rachel asked shrewdly.

'Could you tell her...that I'm all right and I'll text her soon?'

'With pleasure.' With that, Rachel skipped off, heading towards the parking lot.

Max was grateful when she left. She found Rachel sucked all the energy out of a room and she felt drained after having been around the blonde. Some of it was in part due to her introverted nature, she often needed to recharge after having spent time with people, which is part of the reason she felt so comfortable with Mark. They could be in complete silence, reading or watching television, but when they did talk, Max didn't feel as though she was being judged for every little thing she said.

She knocked on Kate's door and called to her friend, 'It's me, Kate. You ready to go eat?' Kate appeared, a big smile on her face.

'What's got you so happy?' Max asked.

'I sent off some illustrations I did for a competition for them to be used in a children's book...and I won!'

'Oh Kate, that's fantastic news. I'm so happy for you!' Max squeezed her friend in a hug, nearly toppling them over. 'We have to celebrate – let's go get ice cream after we've eaten, what do you say?'

'Sure, that'd be fun, Max! Why don't we invite Warren too?' Kate was pointing where the boy in question was sitting.

Max felt a little guilty – she hadn't contacted Warren since she stayed in his room on Saturday. She should have gotten in contact with him sooner. As he spotted the girls, his face was concerned, but relieved to see Max.

'Where you been at, Max?' he asked.

'I'm fine, Warren, sorry I haven't texted you back. My mom's been on my case, so I had to do the whole long phone call to put her mind at rest routine into action.'

'Man, I heard that. My parents are _always_ worried about me. Maybe they think I'm gonna go off the rails. Not likely though.'

'No way, although maybe you might pull a Heisenberg on us all,' Max joked. 'Kate, tell Warren your big news!'

Kate started to tell Warren about her illustrations and Max allowed herself to relax again. She'd missed being with her friends like this. She would have loved for there to be a way for her to bring everyone she loved together, but that probably wouldn't happen until after she graduated.

* * *

 _Friday 23_ _rd_ _November_

The end of a boring week was in sight and Max was excited. For one, it was the weekend, always an appealing prospect, and two, it was Mark's last official day at Blackwell, which was going to make it far easier for them to see one another.

They'd spent a lot of time during the week behaving like love struck teenagers, although Max actually was a teenager, so it was fair on her part. Mark called her every evening but they couldn't meet, since he had a commitment to hand over all of his lesson plans for the cover teacher, in lieu of his eventual replacement. Friday evening would be the first time they had properly spent time together.

It was again a dinner date at Mark's home, though they both hoped it wouldn't turn out like the last one had. Max wanted it to be even more special, and bring back the spark that first brought them together that night in San Francisco – she thought wearing that same dress could bring that touch of magic.

As she put it on, the memory of Mark's first touch made her smile and blush just a little. She knew that he would be the only man to make her feel that way, the only man she _wanted_ to make her feel that way. Arguments aside, she felt like he did – she simply could not leave him alone.

* * *

Mark was most definitely surprised when she got in the car. 'Are you trying to give me a heart attack – you know how I feel about you in that dress.'

'Oh I know,' Max replied touching the neckline with one finger, following it down to her chest. 'I wanted to see how far you'd get before telling me your car trick.'

'Show, don't tell – didn't anyone ever tell you that?' he replied, starting the car. 'I have far too much willpower, little one.'

It appeared that he didn't have that much, since as soon as they got inside his door, he picked Max up and took her upstairs. He set her down and opened the door to a room she hadn't seen the last few times she'd been there. She wasn't surprised but was still jubilant to see that it was a small scale studio. She knew many photographers had a small space set up for shoots and she hoped that she would have her own one day.

'Oh this is so amazing!' she cried, clasping her hands together.

'Pose for me, Max,' he said. 'I know you prefer to be behind the camera, but you look so stunning.'

'Okay...,' she shyly agreed, stepping towards the white background and sitting on the black high backed steel stool. 'This feels a little unsteady.'

'Trust me, Max, you won't fall off,' Mark said, preparing his camera. 'Now, sit back a little, so you're more comfortable, cross your legs, that's it. Hands in your lap, look to your right, tilt your chin down. Close your eyes. Perfect.'

As she posed for him, she felt all her worries dissipate. He was marvellous at directing her, she felt natural and imagined this was how Rachel felt, which probably explained her self-assured demeanour.

Between each pose, Mark adjusted Max this way and that, with a light touch, which became stronger as the shoot went on. A lingering touch or caress, a soft kiss placed below her earlobe, a stroke down her back beginning at her neck.

It was this slow burn of contact that caused Max to abruptly rise from her seat and kiss Mark forcefully, nearly causing him to drop his camera.

'Oh shit, careful Max,' he said, stumbling back.

'Sorry,' she said shyly. 'I just got carried away.'

'That's what I like to hear,' he said, carefully setting the equipment down and taking her hand. 'Let's go to bed.'

'What about dinner...?'

'We'll eat later.'

She let herself be led to the bedroom, her excitement growing with each step. Once in the room, she allowed him to remove her dress slowly, kissing her skin as it was exposed. She felt a shiver of electricity spark through her body as his hands ran down her body. She stepped out of her shoes and sat on the bed, waiting for him to undress and join her.

They embraced each other, kissing with fervour, Mark's hand reaching to the apex of her thighs, caressing her through her underwear. Max positioned herself so she could slip them off, gasping with pleasure as his fingers found their way again.

Smoothly, they fitted together, holding hands, whispered words of passion, heavy breaths and heat building between them until Max's pleasure overflowed and she cried out, her moans slightly muffled as she buried her head into Mark's neck. His own soon followed, calling her name and holding her tightly.

As they lay back on the pillows together, Max felt at peace, safe and most of all, at home.

She turned to Mark, a smile on her face. 'I love you.'

* * *

 **A/N: I really lost my enthusiasm for this story and it probably shows in this chapter.**

 **There's not much more I can add and what I will add, will be in the form of the 'Domestic Bliss' oneshots.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate it all.**


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